
Class MJ 4^ 6^ 

Book 'L^ 

CopyrightK^ 



COF^UGHT DEPOSm 



COST OF LIVING 

AlSJD THE WAR 

AN ANALYSIS OF RECENT CHANGES 

W, JETT LAUGK ! I 




CLEVELAND, OHIO 

THE DOYLB & WALTZ PIUNTIWG COMPANY 

1018 



I 1 



I t 

I I 



PART I. 



ANALYSES AND CONCLUSIONS 

FROM AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION 

WHICH IS AVAILABLE. 



PREFACE 

This volume is a summarization and analysis of official and authorita- 
tive data bearing upon the cost of living with special reference to the 
families of wage-earners. Part II consists primarily of reprints from 
official publications of retail and wholesale price data and the results of 
original investigations and studies relative to the budgets of working- 
men's families. Part I is a brief analysis and interpretation of the data 
contained in Part II. This analysis has been made in an impartial way 
and with no object in mind beyond the presentation in a concise and 
readable form of the facts as to recent increases in prices and family 
living costs. The data in Part II is so arranged as to be readily acces- 
sible for reference or for use as a basis for further study or interpretation. 

The author wishes to make acknowledgment to the United States 
Bureau of Labor Statistics for its co-operation in giving him access to 
its records and data. He wishes also to express his grateful appre- 
ciation especially to Mr. Leifur Magnusson, of the staff of the Bureau 
of Labor Statistics, whose assistance in collecting and compiling data 
has been invaluable. The graphs were drawn by Mr. O. T. Feamster. 

I 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Part I. — Analyses and conclusions from authoritative information which is available : 

Page. 

Chapter I. — Retail prices of foodstuffs 3 

1. High prices and dietary changes 3 

2. Index numbers of retail prices, 1910-1917 5 

3. The increase in the cost of bread 11 

4. The advance in the cost of fuel and light 11 

5. Retail food prices and the purchasing power of the dollar 13 

6. Variations in food prices in the leading cities of the country 17 

Chapter II. — Wholesale prices 18 

1. Wholesale price advances, by commodities, 1911-1917 19 

2. Wholesale prices since the outbreak of the European War 26 

Chapter III. — The value of budgetary studies 29 

1. Weekly budgets, 1911-1917 29 

2. A minimum monthly diet and its cost 30 

3. Tentative budget of Philadelphia Bureau of Municipal Research. 31 

4. Revisions and testimony of shipbuilders 33 

5. Annual budgets to cover a minimum of subsistence and comfort.. 33 

6. Scientific study of increased budgetary costs 34 

7. Changes in standard of living in the District of Columbia as 

affected by the increased cost of living 39 



Part II. — Official, documentary and other authoritative data relative to 
prices, family budgets, and increased living costs : 

Chapter I. — Retail prices 43 

1. Scope of study and method of obtaining prices by United States 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 43 

2. Index numbers of retail prices of all articles of food, 1907-1917. . . 44 

3. Average and relative prices of fifteen articles of food, 1912-1917. . 44 

4. Change in average prices and in amount of various articles of food 

that could be bought for one dollar, 1890-1917 52 

5. Increased cost of foodstuffs in the United States since the beginning 

of the European War 54 

6. Comparative retail prices in leading cities of the United States, 

1913-1917 55 

7. Retail prices of dry goods 61 

8. Relation between changes in wholesale and retail prices, 

1913-1917 64 

9. Price of bread in selected cities, 1913-1917 67 

10. The advance in price of fuel 68 

11. Price of manufactured and natural gas 68 

12. Relative cost of food in the principal American cities 70 

13. Retail prices in twenty-four cities ". 70 

14. Report of the Rhode Island Commission 71 

III 



CONTENTS 

Part II.— (Continued) 

Page. 

Chapter II. — Wholesale prices 75 

1. Average and relative wholesale prices of twenty-four commodities 75 

2. Index numbers of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. . . 79 

3. Index numbers of the Annalist 83 

4. Index numbers of Bradstreet's 85 

5. Index numbers of Dun 88 

6. Index numbers of Gibson 93 

7. Canadian index numbers of wholesale prices. 96 

8. Wholesale prices in the United States, since 1914 — the beginning 

of the European War 101 

Chapter III. — Budgetary studies 103 

1. Proportion of family expenditures for various items 103 

2. Navy department ration for enlisted men 105 

3. Canadian budget 105 

4. Cost of living in the District of Columbia. Investigation by 

United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1916 109 

5. Budget proposed by Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, street rail- 

way employees 112 

6. Budget awarded to Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, street rail- 

way employees 1 20 

7. Higher food prices and the proper nutrition of workingmen's 

families 125 

8. Increased living costs, 1916-1917 128 

9. A minimum budgetary estimate for Pacific Coast workers 131 

10. Study made on the Pacific Coast by the Labor Adjustment Board 

of the United States Shipping Board of the United States 

Emergency Fleet Corporation 133 

11. Budget of the annual cost of living, 1914-1917, compiled by the 

State Bureau of Labor, Olympia, Washington 135 

12. Cost of a minimum food supply for a representative city family. . 138 

13. Report on the increased cost of living for an unskilled laborer's 

family in New York City 142 

14. Digest of literature on cost of living of workingmen in New York 

City 159 

15. Minimum standards of family income. (From Conditions of 

Labor in American Industries, Lauck and Sydenstricker, 1917) . 169 

16. Cost of bread among the workers 177 

Chapter IV— Bibliography 179 

IV 



COST OF LIVING 

AND THE WAR 



AN ANALYSIS OF REGENT CHANGES 
Wj>^JETT laugk 




%3- 



CLEVELAND. OHIO 

THE DOYLE & WALTZ PRINTING COMPANY 

1918 



.L3 



COPYRIGHT 1918, by W. JETT LAUCK 
FIRST EDITION, JANUARY 1918 



FEB I5i9l8 



A492279 

7u>.h 



CHAPTER I 

RETAIL PRICES OF FOODSTUFFS. 

1. High Prices and Dietary Changes. 

Either in the case of the individual or of the family outlays for food 
and rent must be made whatever options may be exercised as to other 
expenditures. If a family has had a large income and has been in the 
habit of purchasing high-grade articles of food, advances in the cost of 
foodstuffs would probably be met by purchasing less high-priced and 
more medium-priced articles. There will be falling off in the nutritive 
value of the family diet. Families of moderate incomes which had 
been consuming medium and low-priced foods, under a period of rising 
prices would purchase less of the medium and more of the low-priced 
foods, and also still maintain wholesome standards of nutrition. On the 
other hand, advances in cost of staple food are a positive danger to the 
families of low incomes. These families under normal conditions are 
forced to bu}^ cheap foods. When there is a general rise in the price 
level, they cannot substitute a cheaper food of the same nutritive value. 
They are compelled to consume cheaper foods, but these articles do not 
contain the food values to which they have been accustomed. Beans 
or eggs cannot be substituted for meat. So far as these families are 
concerned their normal diet constituted an irreducible minimum so far 
as nourishment was concerned. Higher prices, without a corresponding 
advance in income, means to them under-nourishment and under- 
development, with greater liability to disease and all the other dangers 
which the term implies. 

This state of affairs has been most forcibly and interestingly shown in 
a graphical way by Professor Jaffa, of the University of California. His 
diagram illustrating this point is reproduced on the following page and is 
so clear and conclusive as to require no explanation.^ 



This study is reproduced in full in Part II. 



4 RETAIL PRICES. 

ABILITY OF FAMILIES UNDER HIGH, MEDIUM AND LOW WAGES TO MEET INCREASING 
FOOD PRICES BY SELECTIVE CHANGES IN THEIR DIETARY. 





High Wages. 


Medium Wages. 


Low Wages. 


Dietary 

when 

prices 

are 


Selective changes 
when prices are 


Dietary 

when 

prices 

are 


Selective changes 
when prices are 


Dietary 

when 

prices 

are 


Selective changes 
when prices are 


Normal. 


High. 


Very 
High. 


Normal. 


High. 


Very 
High. 


Normal. 


High. 


Very 
High. 


High 
Priced 
Foods. 


— 


— 
















Medium 
Priced 
Foods. 




- 


— 


— 




— 


— 










— 




Low 
Priced 
Foods. 






- 


Danger zone. 









RETAIL PRICES. 5 

2. Index Numbers of Retail Prices, 1910-1917.1 

Under these conditions the recent trend in the retail prices of articles 
of food possesses unusual interest and significance. During the past 
ten years the United States Bureau of Labor has by the co-operation of 
private dealers secured records from the leading cities in all sections of 
the country as to the retail prices of fifteen principal articles of food 
which enter most prominently into the consumption of an average wage- 
earner's family. The prices thus obtained have been averaged for speci- 
fied cities and then for the country as a whole. Upon this latter figure 
have been based computations as to relative changes in prices through- 
out the country during the past ten years. In the following table and 
chart, the average price of the fifteen articles of food for the year 1907 
has been taken as a base, or as equalling 100, and compared with varia- 
tions during subsequent years. 



INDEX NUMBERS OF RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD, 1907 TO OCTOBER, 1917. 



Year. 


Retail 

prices 

of food. 


1907 


100 
103 
108 
113 
112 
119 
122 
125 
123 
139 
156 
162 
162 
177 
184 
185 
178 
181 
187 
192 


1908 


1909 


1910... 


1911 


1912 


1913 


1914 


1915 


1916 


January, 1917 


February, 1917 


March, 1917 


April, 1917 


May, 1917 


June, 1917 


July, 1917 


August, 1917 


September, 1917 


October, 1917 



In working out the foregoing relative prices or index numbers, the 
articles of food have been weighted according to their comparative im- 
portance in the food budgets of an average workingman's family, the 
weights used being those ascertained by an extensive cost of living in- 
vestigation throughout the country made in 1901 by the Bureau of 
Labor. This gives an added significance to the results shown. The 
general upward trend of prices during this entire period is shown graph- 
ically by the accompanying line chart. 

The advance in the retail prices of all the fifteen selected articles in 
1917 as compared with each of the preceding years is set forth in the 
following diagram : 



2-5. 



ipor detailed tables as to retail price statistics of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, see Part II, Section 



6 RETAIL PRICES. 

INCREASE IN RETAIL PRICES OF FOODSTUFFS IN 1917 AS COMPARED 
WITH EACH PRECEDING YEAR DURING THE PERIOD 1907-1916. 




7,0 



Year 


Per 




Cent 


1907 


92.0 


1908 


86.4 


1909 


77.8 


1910 


69.9 


1911 


71.4 


1912 


61.3 


1913 


57.4 


1914 


53.6 


1916 


56.1 


1916 


38.1 



It will be at once noted that during the past ten years the rise in 
prices has been 92 points. During the three years preceding the out- 
break of the European war, or the period 1911-1914, the advance was 
13 points as contrasted with 67 points during the three years subsequent 
to the beginning of the war. Expressed in terms of percentages, general 
retail prices, according to these index numbers, advanced 71.4 per cent 
during the period 1911-1917, and 53.6 per cent during the period 1914- 
1917. In 1917 retail prices were 38.1 per cent higher than in 1916 
and 56.1 per cent higher than in 1915. 

So far as the fifteen separate articles of which the index numbers are 
composed are concerned, their increase in terms of percentages in 1917 
as contrasted with 1914 and 1911 are shown in the following table and 
diagram : 



INCREASE IN RETAIL PRICES OF FOODSTUFFS, 1917 OVER 1911 AND 1914. 
[Compiled from Reports of U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.] 



Articles. 


Per Cent of Increase, 
1917 over 


1911 


1914 


Sirloin steak 


61.8 
78.6 
53.0 

116.8 
92.0 
79.0 

163.1 
60.8 
73.3 
49.9 
47.7 

110.9 

159.3 
35.0 
59.0 


27.9 
32.1 
26.0 
74.8 
72.8 
57.2 
136.3 
42.5 
58.3 
39.6 
39.6 
105.9 
133.3 
62.5 
64.4 




Rib roast 


Bacon 


Ham 


Lard 


Hens 


Eggs 


Butter 


Milk 


Flour 


Corn meal 

Potatoes 




Total 


71.4 


53.6 





RETAIL PRICES. 



C^ 






w 




M 


> 






o 








OT 


t-^ 


o 




CN 




O 


■^ 






q" 




OT 




S- 




o 


«H 




u. 






u. 






c 


o 
t-f- 




c/^ 


.H 




w 






hJ 






u 


o 




h 


s- 




C^ 






< 






< 


o 

ON" 




Dh 






HH 






u 






g 


g- 




&i 












D^ 






U. 






o 


0_j 




U-j 






u 






u 






5 


5- 




Oh 






hJ 












< 


^- 




U 






C^ 






z 


5- 




w 






CO 






< 






W 


o_ 




P^ 


f\ 




U 






:^ 




■ 




8 RETAIL PRICES. 

INCREASE IN RETAIL PRICES OF PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD, 1917 
OVER 1914. 




RETAIL PRICES. 9 

The largest percentages of increase in prices since 1911 are shown for 
round steak, ham, bacon, flour, pork chops, corn meal, and lard, in the 
order named. They range from 78.6 per cent in the case of round steak 
to 163.1 per cent in the case of lard. The articles enumerated, together 
with potatoes and sugar, also advanced more during the past three years 
than the other foodstuffs for which information was secured by the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rapid advance in retail prices of food- 
stuffs since the outbreak of the European war has been set forth in a 
special study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics which was published in 
its Monthly Review of August, 1917.^ In analyzing the results of this 
study the following pertinent comment was made: 

"Comparing prices on July 15, 1914, just prior to the present war, 
with prices on July 15, 1917, food as a whole advanced 42 per cent. 
In July, 1917, flour was 125 per cent higher — that is, two and one-fourth 
times the price in July, 1914; corn meal was 89 per cent higher; lard was 
78 per cent higher; sugar, 75 per cent higher; and potatoes and bread 
each 50 per cent higher." 

By November, 1917, the prices of these foodstuffs had advanced as a 
whole until they were, as already pointed out, more than 50 per cent 
higher than at the beginning of the war in Europe in 1914. The really 
pronounced rise in retail prices of foodstuffs did not begin, however, 
until the Jatter part of 1916. There was a small advance as a rule during 
the latter half of 1914. In the case of some commodities this was main- 
tained or slightly increased in 1915 and the first half of 1916, while in 
the case of others there was a small decline. By August and Septem- 
ber, 1916, the upward tendency set in very rapidly and has continued 
up to the present time. These variations during the past three years 
are clearly shown by the following comparison of prices on January 1 
and July 1, 1914-1917, and for the subsequent months of 1917. 

RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES. 1914-1917. 



Commodities. 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


Jan. 


July 


Jan. 


July 


Jan. 


July 


Jan. 


July 


Nov. 


Hens 

Eggs 

Butter 

Milk 

Bread 

Flour 


90 
116 
101 
100 
«5 
73 
92 


93 
80 
87 
98 
85 
73 
92 


86 

118 

98 

99 

92 

92 

97 

100 

55 

75 

69 

66 

102 

97 

100 

100 


88 
74 
87 
96 
97 
93 
96 

100 
55 
87 
72 
69 

101 
97 

100 

100 


92 
113 
97 
98 
95 
89 
95 
100 
88 
84 
83 
83 
99 
98 
100 
100 


102 

85 

90 

97 

95 

86 

96 

100 

87 

109 

109 

106 

100 

99 

100 

100 


108 
145 
115 
109 
108 
127 
118 
100 
145 
100 
141 
132 
104 
109 
100 
100 


119 
112 
117 
122 
135 
164 
174 
116 
159 
114 
104 
177 
119 
115 
102 
110 


125 
155 
134 
141 
135 
155 
209 
125 
119 
119 
118 
172 
124 
115 
101 
113 


Rice 


Potatoes 

Sugar 


70 
65 


100 
65 


Beans 






Prunes 






Raisins 






Coffee . . 






Tea 













See Part II, Chapter I, Section 5. 



10 



RETAIL PRICES, 



INCREASE IN WHOLESALE PRICES OF A LOAF OF BREAD, 1917 OVER 
1914. BY PRINCIPAL CITIES. 



|Ng^ork^I^^J^ 



iBaltlmore. Md. 



[New Haven, Conn. 



Atlanta, Ga. 



Chicago, 111, 



[Portland, Ore, 



[Dallas , Texas. 



[Washington. D. C. 



lUinneapolis, Minn. 



ICincinnati, Ohio, 



[Denver, Col. 



1st Louia. Mo. 



iNew Orleans, La. 



iBlrminRham, Ala. 




RETAIL PRICES. 



11 



3. The Increase in the Cost of Bread. 

Probably one of the best single indicators of the increased cost of liv- 
ing, especially in the case of families of low incomes, is the price of bread. 
Some illuminating statistics in this connection have recently been col- 
lected by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. They consist of com- 
parative prices in 16 leading American cities during the past three years 
of a standard loaf of bread weighing sixteen ounces before baking. 
The following table and chart which are based on these figures show by 
cities the advance in cost in terms of cents and percentages of this stand- 
ard loaf in 1917 as compared with 1914: 

INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF A LOAF OF BREAD WEIGHING SIXTEEN OUNCES OR 
OVER BEFORE BAKING, 1917 OVER 1914 BY PRINCIPAL CITIES. 

[Compiled from Reports of United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.] 





Cost of loaf of 


Increase 


in 1917 




Bread. 


over 


914. 


City. 










1914. 


1917. 


Cents. 


Per cent. 


Atlanta, Ga 


$0,054 


$0,091 


.037 


68.5 


Baltimore, Md 


.050 


.082 


.032 


64.0 


Birmingham, Ala 


.049 


.094 


.045 


91.8 


Chicago, 111 


.053 


.093 


.040 


75.5 




.044 
.051 
.050 


.081 
.089 
.088 


.037 
.038 
.038 


84.1 
74.5 
76.0 


Cleveland, Ohio . . .... 


Dallas, Tex 


Denver, Colo 


.048 


.089 


.041 


85.4 


Minneapolis, Minn 


.050 


.092 


.04i 


84.0 


New Haven, Conn 


.053 


.089 


.036 


67.9 


New Orleans, La 


.041 


.077 


.036 


87.8 


New York, N. Y 


.059 


.088 


.029 


49.2 


Portland , Ore 


.049 


.086 


.037 


75.5 


St. Louis, Mo 


.050 


.093 


.043 


86.0 


San Francisco, Cal 


.054 


.083 


.029 


53.7 


Washington, D. C 


.051 


.090 


.039 


76.5 



The foregoing statement shows that the range of advance in bread 
prices since the beginning of the European war has been from 2.9 cents 
to 4.5 cents a loaf. Expressed in terms of percentage, the smallest in- 
crease in 1917 as compared with 1914 was 49.2 per cent in New York', 
and the highest, 91.8 percent, in Birmingham, Alabama. In eleven out 
of the sixteen cities for which returns are given in the table above, the 
price of a loaf of bread advanced 75 or more per cent during the period, 
1914-1917. 



4. The Advance in the Cost of Fuel and Light. 

Comparative prices are available as to the cost of gas for lighting and 
other purposes in the principal cities of the country. These figures show 
considerable variations from one locality to another, but practically no 
increase during recent years. Owing to the recent rapid advances in 
the cost of fuel, labor, and materials, however, applications from public 
utility corporations for permission to increase their rates are now pend- 
ing in all sections of the country and it may be expected that increases 
in these items of expenditure will take place in the near future.^ 



See Part 11. Chapter I. 



12 



RETAIL PRICES. 



Increases in the cost of coal have been very rapid during recent years 
and especially since the beginning of the calendar year, 1917.^ Up until 
a year ago, or January, 1917, the advances in the retail prices of coal as 
compared with the corresponding months of 1914 and 1917, ranged 
from 22 to 34 per cent. By certain kinds of domestic coal they were 
as follows: 



Kind of coal. 


Per cent increase in relative prices 
in January, 1917, over 


January, 1914. 


January, 1911. 


Pennsylvania white ash: 
Stove . . 


. 22 
21 
30 


28 
28 
34 


Chestnut 


Bituminous . . . 





The relative retail prices upon which the above comparisons are based 
and which cover the period January, 1907, to January, 1917, are as 
follows: 

RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF COAL EACH YEAR, 1907-1917, INCLUSIVE, AND ON 
JANUARY 15, AND JULY 15, OF EACH YEAR OF THE SAME PERIOD, 

[Average price for 1915 = 100.] 



Month and year. 


Pennsylvania 

white ash, 

stove. 


Pennsylvania 
white ash, 
Chestnut. 


Bituminous. 


January, 1907 


94 
95 
95 
95 
95 
96 
104 
100 
101 
103 
122 


92 
94 
94 
94 
94 
96 
103 
100 
101 
103 
121 


102 
103 
99 
100 
103 
100 
105 
106 
102 
101 
138 


January, 1908 


January, 1909 . . 


January, 1910 


January, 1911 




January, 1913 




January, 1915 




January, 1917 , . 





There is no authoritative data as to relative prices of coal for the 
country as a whole subsequent to January, 1917. The following fig- 
ures, however, which show the price of bituminous coal (run of mine) 
at the mine in the Pittsburgh District for the period January, 1905, to 
January, 1918, afford an insight into the trend of retail coal prices. 



PRICE OF BITUMINOUS COAL (RUN OF MINE) AT THE MINE PITTSBURGH DISTRICT 
JANUARY, 1905, TO JANUARY, 1918. 



1905 


$0.95 


1912 


$1.05 


1906 


1 . 20 


1913 


1.35 


1907 


1.15 


1914 


1.22 


1908 


1.15 


1915 


1.10 


1909 


1.15 


1916 


1 . 70 


1910 


1.20 


1917 


4.85 


1911 


1.225 


1918 


2.45 



2 See Part II, Chapter I. 



RETAIL PRICES. 



13 



From the above prices it is at once evident that the price of bitumin- 
ous (run of mine) coal at the pit mouth in the Pittsburgh District was 
about 300 per cent greater in 1917 than in 1914 and 1911. On July 5, 
1917, the Federal Government, through the Coal Committee of the 
Council of National Defense, fixed a price of $3.00 a ton, and this was 
later changed, on November 1, by the National Fuel Administrator 
to $2.45 a ton. This latter price was practically 200 per cent higher 
than in 1914 or 1911. 

5. Retail Food Prices and the Purchasing Power of the Dollar. 

Perhaps a better insight into the significance of recent advances in 
the retail prices of foodstuffs is to be found in a comparison of the pur- 
chasing power of the dollar, or the standard of American values, during 
recent years. The table and diagram which immediately follow show 
the declining purchasing power of the dollar over leading articles of 
foodstuffs during the period, 191 1-1917 : 



DECLINE IN PURCHASING POWER OF THE DOLLAR, 1911 191 7. 



Article. 



Sirloin steak lb. 

Round steak lb, 

Rib roast lb. 

Pork chops lb. 

Bacon lb. 

Ham lb. 

Lard lb, 

Hens lb. 

Eggs doz. 

Butter lb. 

Milk qt. 

Flour i bbl. 

Com meal lb. 

Potatoes pk. 

Sugar lb. 

Total 





Relative purchasing power of the dollar. 




1911. 


1912. 


1913. 


1914. 


1915. 


1916. 


1917. 


100.0 


87.8 


81.6 


79.6 


79.6 


75.5 


67.3 


100.0 


87.9 


77.6 


74.1 


75.9 


70.7 


55.2 


100.0 


78.1 


79.7 


76.6 


78.1 


73.4 


60.9 


100.0 


92.9 


83.9 


80.4 


87.5 


78.6 


46.4 


100.0 


100.0 


92.5 


90.0 


92.5 


87.5 


52.5 


100.0 


100.0 


90.5 


88.1 


92.9 


81.0 


54.8 


100.0 


95.8 


88.7 


90.1 


95.8 


80.3 


38.0 


100.0 


96.2 


90.4 


88.5 


92.3 


80.8 


61.5 


100.0 


96.8 


96.8 


93.5 


96.8 


87.1 


58.1 


100.0 


89.7 


89.7 


93.1 


96.6 


86.2 


69.0 


100.0 


98.3 


94.8 


94.8 


95.7 


94.8 


68.1 


100.0 


96.7 


101.6 


97.6 


81.3 


75.6 


47.2 


100.0 


104.1 


93.2 


90.0 


87.3 


79.5 


38.6 


100.0 


96.7 


130.0 


120.0 


146.7 


83.3 


73.3 


100.0 


97.0 


111.0 


103.0 


92.7 


76.2 


62.8 


100.0 


94.1 


91.8 


89.6 


91.1 


80.6 


58.3 



The purchasing power of the dollar in 1917 as compared with 1911, as 
can be seen from the foregoing figures, declined almost 42 per cent. In 
other words, practically only three-fifths of the quantities of foodstuffs 
could be purchased in the latter year as compared with the former. The 
decline in the buying power of the dollar has been especially marked 
since the outbreak of the European conflict in 1914. From 1911 to 
1914 the purchasing power of the dollar over foods fell only 8 points, 
while from 1914 to 1917 the decline was 31 points, or almost four times 
as much as in the three years preceding the war. This tendency is 
more clearly brought out in the following table, which shows the falling 
off in the purchasing power of the dollar as compared with each pre- 
ceding year during the period, 1911-1917. 



14 . RETAIL PRICES. 



DECLINE IN THE PURCHASING POWER OF A DOLLAR, BY YEARS AND 
PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD, 1911-1917. 

Per cent 
1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 



SIRLOIN STEAK. LB 



ROUND ST^AK LB 



RIB ROAST LB 



PORK CHOPS. LB 



LARD LB 



RETAIL PRICES. 15 



DECLINE IN THE PURCHASING POWER OF A DOLLAR, BY YEARS AND 
PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD, 1911-1917. 



eCGS. Doz. 



BUTTER, LB 



Per cent 
1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 




H^ 



#e###i»4) 






POTATOES PK 



^p ^P ^v ^p ^^ Cv ^v 




CORN MEAL. LB MiQQ.qM BTgg 





llliOM Mill III 




Mii 



oee#e^c 



♦ Represents IBCHBISE over 1911. 



16 RETAIL PRICES. 

DECLINE IN PURCHASING POWER OF THE DOLLAR. 



RELATIVE PURCHASING POWER OF THE DOLLAR IN OCTOBER, 1917, AS 
COMPARED WITH 



Article. 



Sirloin steak . 
Round steak 
Rib roast . . . . 
Pork chops . . 

Bacon 

Ham 

Lard 

Hens 

Eggs 

Butter 

Milk 

Flour 

Corn meal. . . 

Potatoes 

Sugar 

Total 



1911. 


1912. 


1913. 


1914. 


1915. 


1916. 


67.3 


76.7 


82.5 


84.6 


84.6 


89.2 


55.2 


62.7 


71.1 


74.4 


72.7 


78.0 


60.9 


78.0 


76.5 


79.6 


78.0 


83.0 


46.4 


50.0 


55.3 


57.8 


53.1 


59.1 


52.5 


52.5 


56.8 


58.3 


56.8 


60.0 


54.8 


54.8 


60.5 


62.2 


59.0 


67.6 


38.0 


39.7 


42.9 


42.2 


39.7 


47.4 


61.5 


64.0 


68.1 


69.6 


66.7 


76.2 


58.1 


60.0 


60.0 


62.1 


60.0 


66.7 


69.0 


76.9 


76.9 


74.1 


71.4 


80.0 


68.1 


69.3 


71.8 


71.8 


71.2 


71.8 


47.2 


48.7 


46.4 


48.3 


58.0 


62.4 


38.6 


37.1 


41.4 


42.9 


44.3 


48.6 


73.3 


75.9 


56.4 


61.1 


50.0 


88.0 


62.8 


64.8 


56.6 


60.9 


67.8 


82.4 


58.3 


62 . 


63.5 


65.1 


64.1 


72.4 



From this table the fact stands forth that less than one-half as much 
flour, corn meal and lard could be bought with a dollar in 1917 as con- 
trasted with 1914 and 1911, and less than three-fifths as much pork 
chops and bacon. Expressed in terms of all the enumerated articles 
of food the dollar had the following relative values in 1917 as compared 
with the years listed: 



1911 ; 58.3 cents 

1912 62.0 cents 

1913 63 . 5 cents 

1914^- 65 . 1 cents 

1915 64 . 1 cents 

1916 ; 72.4 cents 



This comparison reveals the astonishing fact that the purchasing power 
of the dollar, during the past year alone, has declined more than one- 
fourth. 



RETA L PRICES. 



17 



6. Variations in Food Prices in the Leading Cities of the Country.^ 

The retail price of foodstuffs, as reported by the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics, seems to vary under normal conditions about 24 per cent in 
the principal cities of the country. The best comparison along these 
lines has been carefully worked out by Professor J. C. Ogburn of the Uni- 
versity of Washington. While a member of the faculty of Reed College 
at Portland, Oregon, he worked out from the detailed reports of the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics the relative prices of food stuffs in the leading 
cities of the country. Portland, Oregon, was taken as 100 and the rela- 
tion of prices in other cities to Portland and to each other compared on 
the basis of these returns. Because of their interest and value his final 
results are reproduced below: 



RELATIVE COST OF FOOD IN LEADING CITIES. 
(Portland, Oregon = 100) 



105 


7 


106 




106 


3 


106 


4 


106 


6 


106 


6 


106 


6 


106 


7 


107 


5 


107 


6 


108 


4 


108 


6 


109 




110 


3 


110 


3 


110 


8 


112 


5 


113 




114 


1 


115 


1 



Minneapolis. . . 

St. Paul 

Denver 

Milwaukee. . . . 
Cincinnati. . . . 

Detroit 

St. Louis 

Buffalo 

Portland 

Baltimore 

Chicago 

Salt Lake City 

Omaha 

Kansas City . . 
Richmond .... 

Memphis 

Seattle 

Springfield .... 
Indianapolis. . 
Cleveland ... . 

Atlanta 

New Orleans . . 



92.7 




94.8 




96.2 




97.6 




97.8 




98.1 




98.2 




98.8 




100. 




100.2 




101.3 




101.9 




102.3 




102.4 




102.5 




102.7 




102.8 




103.5 




103.5 




104.4 




104.4 




104.6 





Manchester. . 
Schenectady . 
Scran ton. . . . 

Washington . . 
Little Rock. . 
Pittsburg. . . . 
San Francisco 
New York. . . 

Philadelphia . 

Dallas 

Boston 

Charleston. . . 
Louisville. . . . 

Los Angeles . . 
Fall River. . . 
New Haven. . 
Providence. . . 
Jacksonville . . 

Newark 

Birmingham. . 



1 See Part II, Chapter I, Sections 12 and 13. 



CHAPTER II. 

WHOLESALE PRICES. 

Wholesale prices, especially of foodstuffs, show an even greater ad- 
vance than retail prices during recent years. For the purpose of showing 
the tendencies as to wholesale prices in a brief, comparative form, the 
following table has been prepared. It sets forth the increase in the 
authoritative index numbers of wholesale prices in this country and 
Canada in the year 1917 as compared with the years 1914 and 1911. 

INCREASE IN WHOLESALE PRICES AS INDICATED BY REPRESENTATIVE INDEX 
NUMBERS, 1917 OVER 1911 AND 1914. 



Index number. 


Increase per cent. 


1917 
over 
1911. 


1917 
over 
1914. 


Dun 


79.1 
104.4 
98.6 
93.5 
93.1 
90.4 


77.3 
100.1 
78.1 
86.3 
80.8 
• 78.3 


Bradstreet '..... 

Annalist 


United States Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Gibson 







The commodities which are used in computing these index numbers 
together with the basis of computation are technically explained in 
detail at a later point. ^ Dun and Bradstreet's have been established 
as one branch of the activities of commercial agencies in reporting the 
general level of prices in the country. For this reason they represent 
the prices of a large variety of commodities in order to correctly reflect 
commercial and industrial tendencies. The same is true but to a less 
extent of Gibson's index numbers, which are used in connection with a 
service which aims to analyze and reflect contemporaneous business and 
financial conditions. The index numbers of the New York Times 
Annalist, on the other hand, are based on prices of food products alone 
arranged according to the consumption of an average family. While 
the index numbers of the Canadian and United States Bureaus of Labor 
Statistics include other groups of articles than foods, they are also 
selected and arranged to correspond to the commodities demanded and 
consumed by a normal or average family. This can readily be seen from 
the following classification of articles upon which the index numbers 
of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics are based: 

Farm products 

Food, etc. 

Cloths and clothing 

Fuel and lighting 

Metals and metal products 

Lumber and building materials 

Drugs and chemicals 

House furnishing goods 

Sundries 
Upon referring to the table immediately preceding, together with the 
following charts, it will be seen that the tendencies in price increases 
shown by all five of the series of index numbers are remarkably uniform. 

1 See Part II, Chapter II. 

18 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



19 



With the exception of Bradstreet's they all show the same general 
advances both for the three years preceding and the three years subse- 
quent to the year 1914. The higher points reached by Bradstreet's 
were undoubtedly due to the effect of the prices of metals and other 
primary articles included in the computation of Bradstreet's index num- 
bers. For the period, 1911-1917, the general increase in the wholesale 
price level, as indicated by these index numbers, ranged from 79.1 to 
104.4 per cent. The minimum and maximum, however, were repre- 
sented by the index numbers of Dun and Bradstreet, which, as already 
pointed out, were affected by the inclusion of prices for metals and simi- 
lar commodities which have fluctuated violently during the past three 
years. The general advance in wholesale prices during the seven years, 
1911-1917, as shown by the other four index numbers, ranged from 90.4 
per cent in the case of the Canadian series to 98.6 per cent in the case of 
the Annalist. The increase shown by the Gibson and Bureau of Labor 
Statistics series was almost the same, being 93.1 per cent in the former, 
and 93.5 per cent in the latter series. 

During the past three years the same relative tendencies have been 
exhibited. With the exception of Dun and Bradstreet's, the other five 
series have shown almost similar increases, the difference between the 
highest and the lowest advance being only 8 points. The Canadian 
Department of Labor, Gibson, and the Annalist series are almost identi- 
cal in point of increase, the variation between them being only 2.7 per 
cent. These results point to the conclusion that the general advance in 
wholesale prices since the outbreak of the European war has been 
approximately 78 to 80 per cent. 

1.— WHOLESALE PRICE ADVANCES, BY COMMODITIES, 

1911-1917. 

The advances in wholesale prices made by various classes of commod- 
ities entering into the computation of the index numbers of the Bureau 
of Labor Statistics in 1917 as against 1911 and 1914, is shown in the fol- 
lowing table: 

INCREASE IN WHOLESALE PRICES BY CLASSES OF COMMODITIES, ENTERING 

INTO INDEX NUMBERS OF BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, 

1917 OVER 1911 AND 1914. 



Farm products 

Food, etc 

Cloths and clothing 

Fuel and lighting 

Metals and metal products . . . . 
Lumber and building materials 

Drugs and chemicals 

House furnishing goods 

Miscellaneous 

All commodities 



Per cent of increase. 


1917 


1917 


over 


over 


1911. 


1914. 


118 


95 


81 


74 


96 


91 


113 


86 


157 


161 


33 


39 


98 


98 


67 


60 


55 


64 


93.5 


86.3 



Farm and food products, fuel and lighting, cloths and clothing, so 
far as general household consumption is concerned, it will be noted, show 
the greatest increases for both periods for which comparisons are made. 
Metals and metal products and drugs and chemicals in their unusual 
advances reflect war demands for munitions and other purposes. 



20 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



TREND IN WHOLESALE PRICES OF PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES AS IN- 
DICATED BY THE INDEX NUMBERS OF U. S. BUREAU OF LABOR 
STATISTICS, 1890-1917. 



iMo iMi mt in> ISM itn ism isir ists is«9 iioo t«oi itoa iki i«o« ims im« imt i«as iioi i>io mi mi in% iiu iiis i9i< i«it 





year 




Index 














































. 1890 66 

1891 66 

1892 61 










































\ 




1894 56 
1896 57 

1896 54 

1897 54 














































1898 56 
1699 60 

1900 65 

1901 64 












































19C 
19C 
19C 

^9( 


)2 69 

3 69 

4 70 

5 69 

6 72 . 

7 76 

8 74 

9 79 

81 

1 77 
L2 62 

3 81 
L4 80 
L5 81 
L6 ^ 100 

7 * 14'J 

eptamber. 












































-- 


19C 
19C 
19C 
19] 
-19] 
19] 
19] 
19] 
19] 


















































































1 






19] 
19] 




























.^ 




/ 








1 


































,^ 


/ 


-> 


/ 




\ 


/ 












— 


\ 


^ 


\ 












/ 


- 


/ 






































\ 


^ 


"^ 






/ 





























































































WHOLESALE PRICES. 



21 



TREND IN WHOLESALE PRICES OF PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES AS IN- 
DICATED BY N. Y. TIMES ANNALIST YEARLY INDEX NUMBERS, 
1890-1917. 



ISM IMl KM 



leM 1M4 IHf UM IM* 



1*01 IMt IMS 1«0* 1«05 1*M IMT 1*M IN* 1*10 Itll ItU 1«U ItU 1915 1«1( IW 















ax " 

252 














































Year Ind 
num 

1890 109, 

1891 119 , 

1892 108, 

1893 116, 

1894 102, 

1896 94, 

1895 80, 

1897 84, 














































488 
624 
100 














































604 

096 
092 














































18S 
189 
19C 


9 93, 

99, 

1 104, 

2 116, 

3 107, 

4 108, 


208 
348 
388 
656 














































19C 
19C 
19C 


264 

615 
664 














































1906 114, 

1907 117, 
1906 125, 

1909 133, 

1910 137, 

1911 131. 

1912 143, 

1913 139, 

1914 146, 
1916 148, 

1916 ^ 175, 

1917 * 260, 


364 
940 
756 














































952 
172 
068 
254 














































980 
069 
056 














































286 
lOtb 






































1 












































































































1 














































/ 


"^ 


/ 


-^ 










































/ 


^ 


\ 


/ 














































/ 


/ 


















/ 


\ 


y 


\ 
















/ 


\ 








y 




























\ 


s 












^ 


/ 


\ 


"^ 




































\ 


\ 








/ 














































\ 


X 


/ 































































































22 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



TREND IN WHOLESALE PRICES OF PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES AS IN- 
DICATED BY DUN'S INDEX NUMBERS, 1890-1917. 



itM i8«i ie» wt x»H im utt xuf ism um ino imi i«ot im« its* 

I I I I 



ifor i«et iwt mo 1*11 lui itu i«i« lui iu< iut iut 



T\ 



Jantiary 1 



1890 


90.191 


1891 


98.247 


3,892 


89.822 


1893 


94.165 


1894 


96.032 


1895 


80.992 


1896 


77.780 


1897 


75.502 


1898 


79.940 


1899 


80.423 


1900 


95.295 


1901 


95.668 


1902 


101.587 


1903 


100.356 


1904 


100.142 


1905 


100.318 


1906 


104.464 


1907 


107.264 


1908 


113.282 


1909 


111.848 


1910 


123.434 


1911 


115.102 


1912 


123.438 


1913 


120.832 


1914 


124.528 


1915 


124.168 


1915 


137.666 


1917 ^ 


169.562 


1917 * 


220.172 


* December 


l8t. 




WHOLESALE PRICES. 



23 



TREND IN WHOLESALE PRICES OF PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES AS IN- 
DICATED BY BRADSTREET'S YEARLY INDEX NUMBERS, 1892-1917. 



18»2 ist] laM ins 19M laf lete itt* iioo imi ttoj ifO} ii 


0. IMS IMt 1M7 ItOe »«0» IMOIIU ItU I»l» 1»" 1H9 »•»» iM 


17 




Year Dollars 










































1892 7.776 






































1 






1693 7.532 






































1 






1894 6.684 






































1 


16 
















































1896 6. 


912 






































1 






1897 6.116 






































1 






1898 6.671 






































1 


15 




1899 7.210 






































1 
















































1901 7.574 






































1 






1902 7.876 






































1 






1903 7.936 






































1 


1» 




1904 7.918 










































1905 8.098 






































1 






1906 8.417 






































1 






1907 8.904 






































1 


13 




1908 8.009 










































1909 8.515 












































1910 8.988 












































1911 8.713 












































1912 9.186 








































12 




1913 9.207 










































1914 8.903 












































1915 9.853 




































, 








1916 11.825 




































/ 




11 

10 

s 




1917 17.811 




































/ 










1 
1 






































/ 










































/ 




s 


/ 


































/ 


\ 




/ 


"^ 


/ 












e 

7 




























y 




\ 


/ 


















^ 


\ 










y 


/ 


\ 


/ 


































\ 


V,^ 








/ 






































£ 








\, 


^^ 


/ 








































i( 





















































24 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



TREND IN WHOLESALE PRICES OF PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES AS IN- 
DICATED BY GIBSON'S AVERAGE YEARLY INDEX NUMBERS. 1890-1917. 



ld»0 ia»t 1692 1893 1 


9» 1395 189* 1891 i 


98 1 


99 1900 1101 19 


02 19 


03 190. 19 


05 iJO* 19 


0' 1908 1905 1910 19 


11 191? 19 


3 191* 191i 191« 191 




1 1 i 

l?«ar index 
number 
















































1890 43.4 

1891 50.8 

1892 45.3 

1893 46.0 

1894 43.4 

1895 42.0 

- 1896 34.0 

1897 34.7 

1898 38.7 

1899 41.6 

1900 42.2 

- 1901 44,6 

1902 53.6 

1903 49.0 

1904 48.3 

1905 47.3 

- 1906 49.8 

1907 60.9 

1908 64. E 

1909 59.2 

1910 69.3 

- 1911 66.9 

1912 62.6 

1913 68.1 

1914 60.8 

1916 64.0 

- 1916 . 69.3 

1917 • 109.9 




























































































90 

80 
70 
60 






































































































































































/ 


s. 




^ 


\ 






























/ 


— 


<. 


/ 


s 


y* 








50 


' 


11 


mon 


the. 
















J 


\, 










y 


/ 


















/ 


\ 




V. 
















/ 


> 


' 




^ 
























20 








\ 


■-^ 


y 






Z' 
















































\ 


_____ 


/ 




















































































































































10 















































































































WHOLESALE PRICES. 



25 



TREND IN WHOLESALE PRICES OF PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES AS IN- 
DICATED BY CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF LABOR INDEX NUMBERS, 
1890-1917. 



ie«o lan lasa iotj lew isss ie96 



IMl 1«0> 140) 1904 1905 190« ItOT 1908 1909 1910 1911 1913 191) 1914 1919 191« 191t 





Year 




1 

Index 
imml)er_ 














































1890 110.3 

1891 108.6 

1892 102.8 

1893 102.6 

1894 97.2 
1896 96.6 


























































































1897 92.2 
1698 96.1 
1899 100.1 














































190 
190 
190 
190 


10 

1 10 

2 10 

3 11 

4 11 

5 11 

6 12 

7 12 

8 12 

9 12 

12 

1 12 

2 13< 

3 13 


3.2 
7.0 
3.0 
3 6 






































* 








190 
190 
190 
-190 
190 
190 
191 


1.4 
3.8 
3.0 












































D.e 

1.2 
1.2 














































191 
191 
191 


7.4 

3.0 
5.5 














































1915 148.0 

1916 182.0 

1917 • 242.6 






































— 








* 


10 n 


ontl 


IS 




























































































/ 


















































/ 




/ 






































/ 


\ 




/ 


^ 


^ 










































/ 


























\ 




s. 












/ 










































S 


^ 


\ 




y 


y 







































26 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



INCREASE IN WHOLESALE PRICES AS INDICATED BY REPRESENTA- 
TIVE INDEX NUMBERS, 1917 OVER 1911. 



i£ ^ 



3,0 



i?_ 



_^o ^ 



5|0 190 



79.1 per cent. 



BRADSTREET 



104.4 per cent. 



ANNALIST 



,6 per cent. 



BUREAU OF LABOR 



93.5 per cent. 



93.1 per cent. 



CANADIAN DEPT OF LABOR 



90.4 per cent. 



2.— WHOLESALE PRICES SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF THE 
EUROPEAN WAR. 

Out of fourteen foodstuffs enumerated in the following table, the whole- 
sale prices of six in June, 1917, were more than double, and in the case 
of one three times greater than what they were in July, 1914. The 
greater number of other articles of food advanced in price during the 
same period at least 75 per cent. The same was true of cotton and cot- 
ton yarns, while wool and worsted yarns increased in price more than 130 
per cent. The percentages of increase for different commodities are 
shown in detail in the table which follows: 

INCREASE IN WHOLESALE PRICES OF SELECTED COMMODITIES, 
JUNE, 1917, OVER JULY, 1914. 



Article. 



Cattle, good to choice steers 

Beef, fresh, native steers 

Beef, salt, mess 

Hogs, heavy 

Bacon, short clear sides. . . . 

Pork, salt, mess 

Lard, prime, contract 

Wheat, No. 1, Northern. . . . 

Flour, standard patent 

Corn, No. 2, mixed 

Meal, fine, yellow 

Potatoes, white 

Sugar, granulated 

Hides, packers' 

Cotton, upland, middling. . . 
Cotton yarns, carded 10-1 . . 
Wool, fine, fleece, scoured. . . 

Worsted yarns, 2-32s 

Coal, bituminous 

Copper, electrolytic 

Pig lead 

Pig tin 

Pig iron, Bessemer 

Steel billets 

Spelter 

Petroleum, crude 



Per cent increase 

June, 1917, over 

July, 1914. 



36.1 

19.6 

76.8 

79.1 

71.8 

75.7 

107.2 

200.2 

102.4 

141.6 

173.7 

144.5 

79.5 

70.3 

93.8 

74.4 

134.6 

138.5 

172.7 

142.5 

194.9 

102.6 

267.1 

419.7 

90.7 

77.1 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



27 



INCREASE IN WHOLESALE PRICES OF PRINCIPAL ARTICLES, 1917 
OVER 1911. 




28 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



INCREASE IN WHOLESALE PRICES OF PRINCIPAL ARTICLES, 1917 
OVER 1914. 



l^Q 



160 




Potatoes, white bu. 


2.Sf. 


-„„- (Anthracite-Stove 
^°*-^' (long ton 


12.3 


Beeves, live lot, ICO lbs. 


23.7 


Ham. lb. 


26.9 


Bacon, clear lb. 


35.3 


Butter, lb. 


3S.5 


Uilk, freeh qt , New York. 


l^2.5 


Sugar, lb. 


46.5 


Cheese, lb. New york, 


1*7.6 


Pork, bbl. 


us.o 


Eggs, doz. New York 


50.2 


Cotton, lb. New York, 


63.6 


Lard, lb. 


66.« 


Corn meal, yellow bbl. 


73.0 


Corn, bu. 


SS.1 


Wool, lb Ohio, 


117.6 


1 1 iiniwii i.u'MJjJn«tf»nCTi 


E^^^^H 


|Pig Iron, long ton.^^^^l 


gi86.6 



CHAPTER III 

THE VALUE OF BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

Statistics as to retail prices are valueless so far as their bearing upon 
family living costs are concerned, unless it is known what proportions of 
different classes of food, other articles, and services enter into the con- 
sumption of families of various incomes. When it is known what pro- 
portion of a family's outgo is for food, rent, fuel, clothing, and miscella- 
neous items, the retail prices of certain articles can be weighted accord- 
ing to their relative importance from a consumption standpoint, and the 
increased family living costs correctly ascertained. For this reason a 
number of original investigations have been made to ascertain these 
facts. Other studies have been made to determine the cost of a minimum 
family subsistence or of a minimum standard of comfort. Because of the 
great importance of these classes of investigations, they have been 
brought together and analyzed in the following sections.^ 



For a reprint of the more important budgets, see Part II, Chapter III. 



1.— WEEKLY BUDGETS, 1911-1917. 

The Canadian Department of Labor publishes each month an average 
workingman's family budget showing the weekly cost of staple foods, 
fuel and lighting, and rent.^ Beginning with the year 1914, the Bureau 
of Labor of the State of Washington has also prepared each April a 
budget showing the weekly and annual cost to a family of five for gro- 
ceries, fresh meat and fish, and fuel.^ In 1917, as compared with 1914, 
the Canadian budget shows an advance in the cost of living for the items 
enumerated of 27.7 per cent, while the Washington budget, probably 
because of the exclusion of rent, shows an increase of 35.6 per cent. 
This general comparison, together with the advance in the detailed items 
of food, fuel and rent during the past six years, is set forth in the follow- 
ing table : 



COMPARISON OF CANADIAN AND WASHINGTON (STATE) WEEKLY BUDGETS, 1911-1917. 



1 See Part II, Chapter III. 

2 See Part II, Chapter III. 
^Denotes decrease. 



Canadian Department of Labor. 


1911. 


1914. 


1917. 


Per cent 
1917 


increase 
over 


1911. 


1914. 


Food 


$ 7.14 
1.78 
4.05 


$ 7.99 
1.90 

4.54 


$11.68 
2.40 
4.36 


63.6 
34.6 

7.7 


46.1 
26.5 

314.1 


Fuel and lighting 


Rent 


Total '. 


$12.97 


$14.44 

$4.57 
2.52 
1.01 


$18.44 

$6.48 
3.39 
1.10 


42.1 


27.7 

41.9 

34.7 

9.2 


Washington Department of Labor. 
Food, groceries 








Fuel 






Total 








$8.10 


$10.97 




35.6 









29 



30 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



The food cost as shown by the Canadian budget in 1917, amounted 
on an annual basis to $607.36; in the Washington budget to $513.24. 
Assuming that the food cost was 40 per cent of the total outlays of the 
families from which data were secured, the total annual budget for an 
average workingman's family in Canada would have cost as far back as 
last August, $1,518.40, and in the State of Washington, $1,283.10. 

In 1911, the Canadian budget, w^hich is representative of American 
conditions, according to this basis of calculation, would have cost $751, 
and $1,039 in 1914. In other words, an average family in Canada, 
in 1911, would have required double its income to maintain the same 
standard of living in August, 1917. Assuming that the food and fuel 
cost of the Washington budget was 45 per cent of the whole, the total 
cost of this budget in 1914 would have been $936, or $347.10 less than 
in 1917. 

In October, 1917, Inspector Graef, of the Department of Health, 
New York City, made a careful comparison of the costs of the various, 
elements in a standard, palatable weekly dietary for a family of five in 
the largest cities of the United States.^ The results of his study in 
terms of weekly and annual expenditures for food, by leading cities, was 
as follows: 



Kind of food. 


New York 
City. 


Average of 

24 cities 

throughout 

U.S. 


Boston. 


Chicago. 


New 
Orleans. 


San 
Francisco. 


Canned goods . 


$0,185 
2.943 

.690 

.515 
3.340 

.665 
3.229 

.110 


$0,177 
3.144 

.650 

.570 
3.343 

.673 
2.717 

.110 


$0,180 
2.202 

.670 

.515 
3.925 

.765 
2.834 

.110 


$0,200 
3.153 

.626 

.537 
3.165 

.685 
2.834 

.110 


.$0,200 
3.022 

.625 

.540 
2.801 

.660 
2.409 

.110 


$0,150 
2.902 

.605 

.581 
2.950 

.582 
2.284 

.110 


Cereals 


Dried fruits 


Sugar and syrup 

Dairy products 


Vegetables 

Meats and fish . 


Condiments 

Total weekly cost of food 
budget. . 


$12,953 
673 . 40 


$12,685 
659.36 


$12,451 
647.40 


$12,593 
654.68 


$11,929 
619.36 


$11,460 
595.92 







The annual cost of this minimum food diet for a family of five ranges, 
as it will be noted, from $595.92 in San Francisco to $673.40 in New 
York City. The average of 24 cities throughout the United States was 
$659.36, which would be representative of an annual income of $1,500 
to $1,600. 



See Part II, Chapter III. 



2.— A MINIMUM MONTHLY DIET AND ITS COST. 

The cost of a minimum monthly diet upon which health can be main- 
tained by a family of five has been estimated by Professor Jaffa, of the 
University of California, at $45.32 per month, or $543.84 annually. 
The cost of this diet he shows has advanced from $27.09 a month in 
1912, and $29.66 a month in 1914, to $45.32 in 1917, an increase of 67 
per cent in the ten years, 1907-1917. The detailed statement of this 
diet and its increase in cost, is as follows: 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



31 



TABLE SHOWING INCREASE IN COST OF FOOD FROM 
MAY, 1907, TO MAY, 1917. 

MINIMUM DIET ON WHICH HEALTH CAN BE MAINTAINED FOR A WORKINGMAN, HIS 
WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN BETWEEN FOUR AND FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE. 



Food materials. 


Food and cost for one month. 


Pounds. 


1907. 


1912. 


1916. 


1917. 


Class I— 


50 

120 

6 

8 

60 

17 

4 

10 

35 
55 
50 

8 
10 

25 

2 


$5 . 75 

4.80 

.81 

.40 

1.88 
.49 
.28 
.60 

.70 
1.38 

2.25 

2.29 
1.35 

1.38 

.73 
2.00 


$7.25 

4.80 

1.12 

.40 

1.92 
.77 
.32 
.60 

1.05 
1.65 
2.50 

2.55 
1.90 

1.53 

1.00 
2.30 


$8.00 

4.80 

1.08 

.40 

1.92 

1.02 

.32 

.60 

1.05 
1.65 
2.50 

2.40 
2.00 

1.75 

1.00 
2.50 


$10.00 
6 00 
1.56 
1.60 

4.80 

1.36 

.50 

.83 

2.17 
1.65 
2.50 

3.60 
2.50 

2.25 

1.00 
3.00 


Milk 


Eggs . 




Class II— 

Flour 


Cereals 




Rice 


Class Ill- 
Potatoes 


Vegetables 


Fruits 


Class IV— 

Butter 


Oils and fats 


Class V— 

Sugar 


Extras — 


Sundries 


Total, per month. . . 






$27.09 


$29.66 


$32.99 


$45.32 







Sundries include yeast, corn starch, cocoa, cheese, syrup, salt, etc. 



3.— TENTATIVE BUDGET OF PHILADELPHIA BUREAU OF 
MUNICIPAL RESEARCH. 

On December 20, 1917, the Bureau of Municipal Research of the City 
of Philadelphia, which was organized to promote efficient and scientific 
management of municipal business, submitted a tentative budget as a 
minimum standard of living for a workingman's family. It was accom- 
panied by the following statement: 

'*A recent press notice of the Patriotic Education Society, in com- 
menting upon the present labor situation, states that 'the Government 
must make a comprehensive studv of living conditions in all sections 
of the United States. ********** -p^^j^ Qq^. 

ernment arbitrators can say, with real knowledge of conditions, what is 
a fair day's pay, instead of basing their decision on the argument of 
might.' 

''The world tragedy now upon us is forcing us to think fundamentally 
on many issues that we have been wont to pass over superficially. In 
the statement quoted above we have a bit of fundamental thinking on 
the perennial issue of a 'fair day's pay' that is decidedly encour- 
aging. The 'law of supply and demand,' which has served for so long 
to blind men to the real social significance of the wage question, is quietly 



32 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



left out of account and 'living conditions' are frankly recognized as the 
vital factor In determining wages. In other words, we are asked hence- 
forth to make the standard of living that we wish our citizens to maintain 
our prime concern in dealing with labor. 

"The Bureau of Municipal Research Is In hearty agreement with this 
view. As a matter of fact, in Its endeavor to arrive at a 'fair day's 
pay' for laborers employed in the city government, it has begun an 
inquiry Into the cost of living of a workingman's family In Philadelphia. 
As a result of this inquiry it Is hoped to establish a standard of living, 
expressed in actual goods and services, that will enable a family to live 
in a manner befitting the citizens of a great democracy. * * * 

For this purpose we are submitting, as a basis for discussion merely, 
a tentative minimum standard expressed mainly, for the sake of brevity, 
in dollars and cents. * * * Since this tentative standard is so 
decidedly the minimum on ivhich a family can exist, we would be espe- 
cially pleased to have your suggestions take the form of how much more 
ought to be added to make it a fair standard." 

The budget submitted was as follows : 

TENTATIVE MINIMUM STANDARD OF LIVING FOR A FAMILY OF FIVE, COMPOSED OF 
TWO ADULTS AND THREE CHILDREN UNDER INCOME-EARNING AGE. 



Housing — $15.00 per month 

This provides from four to six rooms, depending upon locality. 


$180.00 
75.00 

590.00 

166.00 
27.00 

20.00 

20.00 

15.00 
11.00 

23.40 
32.30 

20.00 

20.30 


Four and one-half tons of coal $ 39 . 38 


Gas 33 . 80 


Kindling, matches, etc 1 .82 


Food 


Food $581.67 


Ice 8.33 




Clothing 


Health 


For services of physician, dentist, oculist and nurse, and also 
for surgical appliances, drugs, etc. 
Furniture and furnishings 


Replacements of towels, bedding, dishes, breakage, etc. 
Taxes, dues and contributions 


To government, churches, patriotic societies, etc. 


Education and reading 


School expenses $1 . 50 

Newspaper 8 . 84 






Carfare . . 


To and from work and one dollar for the rest of the family for 
the year. 


Soap, washing material, brooms, brushes, laundry, etc. — 
thirty-eight cents per week. 


Includes funeral expenses, moving expenses, tobacco and re- 
freshments. 

Total 


$1,200.00 





BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



33 



4.— REVISIONS AND TESTIMONY OF SHIPBUILDERS. 

At a hearing held by the Labor Adjustment Board of the Emergency 
Fleet Corporation in Philadelphia during the month of January, 1918, 
representatives of the shipyards employees held that the budget of the 
Bureau of Municipal Research fell short of the minimum requirements 
by $231.30 annually. They revised the budget by additions to the vari- 
ous items as follows: 





$240.00 


Fuel and light 


90 . 00 




640 . 00 


Clothing 


226.00 


Health 


27 00 




50.00 


Taxes, etc 


30 00 


Education and reading 


12 50 


Insurance 


39.00 


Carfare 


... 36 50 


Cleaning, supplies, etc 

Other expenses . . 


20.00 

20 30 


Total 




.161 4.^1 .^n 





5.— ANNUAL BUDGETS TO COVER A MINIMUM OF SUB- 
SISTENCE AND COMFORT. 

To maintain a minimum standard of comfort — not only to cover Sub- 
sistence, but also the minimum requirement of education, recreation, 
and well-being — according to the most recent estimates, requires an 
annual income or wage of approximately $1,500. ^This is indicated 
by the partial budgetary studies and estimates which have already been 
submitted. The most detailed and scientific estimates, however, as to 
this standard are furnished by the budgets below. During the latter 
half of 1917, the street railway employees of Tacoma and Seattle, Wash- 
ington, submitted a demand for higher wages to an arbitration board. 
Exhaustive documentary and personal evidence was submitted as to the 
cost of maintaining a minimum standard of comfort. On the basis of 
this estimate, the counsel for the employees prepared a budget for the 
purpose of showing that a minimum annual wage of $1,917.88 was 
necessary. The members of the arbitration board, after their own 
analysis of the evidence supplemented by an original investigation by 
the faculty of the Department of Economics of the University of Wash- 
ington, aw^arded the street railwaymen a budget of $1,505.60, or, in 
other words, it was stated as the final decision of the board that an 
annual wage of this amount was necessary, and the hourly rates of pay 
were fixed with the object of yielding $1,505.60 to each employee, as a 
minimum. 

This budgetary estimate was closely approximated by a contem- 
porary and independent study by Dr. Jessica B. Peixotto, of the faculty 
of the University of California. She showed that $1,476.40 was re- 
quired annually under existing conditions to maintain a decent minimum 
of comfort for an average workingman's family of five — husband, wife, 
and three children under the working age. 

The details of these three budgets are set forth summarily in com- 
parative form in the following table: 

1 See Part II, Chapter III. 



34 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



ANNUAL BUDGETS TO COVER A MINIMUM OF SUBSISTENCE AND COMFORT FOR AN 
AVERAGE WORKINGMAN'S FAMILY. 



Items. 


Proposed by 

Seattle street 

railway 

employees. 


Awarded by 

Arbitration 

Board to Seattle 

employees. 


Dr. Jessica 
B. Peixotto. 


Groceries, meats and fish ... . 


$540.95 
59.70 

611.87 
60.00 
12.00 
12.00 
60.00 

120.00 
30.00 

120.00 
22.16 
12.00 

180.00 
65.00 
12.20 


$533.40 
60.00 
291.50 
40.00 
11.00 
20.00 
60.00 
30.00 

100.00 
20.00 
15.00 

184.00 
35.70 
30.00 
25.00 
20.00 


s$540.00 

36.00 

288 . 40 

2132.00 


Fuel 

Clothing 


Education 

Church and fraternal organizations 




Dentistry, medicines, etc 

Insurance 











Savings 




Electric light 






240.00 


Street car fare 

Tobacco, ice cream, etc 






M iscellaneous 










270.00 


Total 






$1,917.88 


$1,505.60 


$1,476.40 



1 Included in education. 

2 Includes household operation. 



SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF INCREASED BUDGETARY 
COSTS. 



The Bankers Trust Company of New York, at the close of 1917, 
made an exhaustive study of increased family Hving costs as a basis for 
salary bonuses to its employees. The methods employed and results 
obtained were described in the New York Times Annalist of January 
14, 1918. Because of their great value, the article of the Annalist is 
reproduced below: 

"How much has the cost of living increased since 1915? How much 
more does the average head of a family pay now for rent, food and 
clothing than he did two years ago? The question interests every 
family in the country, yet the average man, or woman, knows little more 
than that expenses are rising faster than income can keep pace, with the 
result that attempts to bring receipts and expenditures into a relation 
more nearly approaching that on which family budgets were based a 
year or so ago frequently take the form of misdirected efforts at economy 
which must be abandoned when their futility, or impossibility, becomes 
apparent. 

" Index numbers on the cost of living, such as are prepared weekly by 
the Annalist, by Bradstreet's, and others, indicate the trend of prices. 
In the case of the Annalist they show the fluctuations in the average 
wholesale prices of twenty-five food commodities selected and arranged 
to represent a theoretical family's food budget. But at best they con- 
sider price changes as a whole and afford no information to the man who 
wishes to know the proportionate and relative increases in the costs of 
the items which comprise his daily expenditures. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



35 



"With these points in mind, Seward Prosser, President of the Bankers 
Trust Company, facing the duty of apportioning bonuses among his 
employees to compensate them for the increased cost of Hving, recently 
hit upon the plan of enlisting the aid of those who were to benefit by the 
apportionment by requiring them to keep a record of their daily expendi- 
tures so that an actual, rather than a theoretical, basis on which to make 
the distribution might be obtained. 

"An account of the operation of this plan and the work of the com- 
mittee that directed it follows, and it is indicative of the merit of the 
index number that the increase in living cost for the last six months of 
1917 over 1915, disclosed by averaging the actual records kept by indi- 
vidual members of the staff of the trust compan}^, differs from the per- 
centage increase shown by the Annalist index number by less than a 
single per cent. Accompanying is a chart prepared by the committee 
to show the 'Relative Average Price of Food and Clothing' for the last 
six months of 1917 over the year 1915. 

"The first task of the committee, of which J. H. Lewis was Chairman, 
with G. F. Trefcer, C. O. Cornell, Herman Knoke, and Charles C. 
Gardner as associates, was to determine the relative parts of his salary 
which the average bank clerk expends for rent, food, and clothing. In 
Chapin's 'New York Study' the committee obtained a table which it 
selected 'as the best available authority as to proportions of salary 
bases which are applicable to the necessities of life.' From records 
supplied by its own members and other employees of the trust company 
the committee then amended this table to the standard of living of the 
trust company employees. 



RELATIVE AVERAGE PRICE OF FOOD AND CLOTHING. 











































1818 


W^ASik^^^:^ 






























fncrexiseoverjsjis 






























;mi"i 


1 OriitmlCoTmmtSasn 
































::r-::| 


^eydedCo7mitkc6asi^ 






M 






















■HHHli^HBHH ^'aastr^^Compitte/ndex 




































\ :. -y Mi^. : E 


reAmialiithtkxMimbtr 










♦ aased upon Bra.d^ireets prices for suisohtely 
essenti3,i commodeties 







36 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 
PERCENTAGE PRICE INCREASE. 





"A" 


"B" 


"C" 


"D" 


"E" 


"F" 


Fresh vegetables: 

Potatoes 




35.0 


172.0 






165.0 
98.0 
181.0 
103.0 
163.0 

127.0 
177.0 
122.0 
122.0 

122.0 
136.0 










Cabbage 
























Beans 












Grains: 

Wheat 












Corn 












Barley 












Buckwheat . . 












Raw material: 

Cotton 












Wool 












Meats:_ 

Sirloin steak 






44.0 
48.0 
50.0 
57.0 
45.0 
78.0 
90.0 
88.0 


52.2 
48.0 
71.5 

45.7 


50.0 








Rib roast . . 






37.0 










Plate roast 






















Bacon 






"89.7" 
49.5 
91.0 


84.0 
69.0 




Ham 






Mutton 






Pork loin 








93.0 


■■82;o" 

103.0 
38.0 


Lamb 






69.0 












Beef 












Groceries — canned goods: 

Beans 


64.9 
160.9 
104.6 










Corn . . 


i46.6 
90.0 

111.0 

127.0 
66.0 
58.0 

128.0 
63.0 

87.0 
51.0 
51.0 










Peas 










Spinach 












174.0 
75.9 
69.6 










Peaches 




















Baked beans 






















Staples: 

Flour 


85.2 
45.7 
49.4 
53.9 


99.0 
58.0 
64.0 








Sugar 








Butter 






35.0 


Cheese 






Rice 


59.0 
55.0 
140.0 
16.0 
21.0 
66.0 










Eggs 




54.0 
83.0 






28.0 


Lard 








Coffee 










• Tea 












Bread 




100.0 

55.0 

180.0 








Milk . 








22.0 












Fabrics, etc.: 

Table linen 










195.0 
56.0 
47.0 
49.0 
50.0 

110.0 
50.0 


Women's stockings, three-quarter silk. . 












Women's stockings cotton . . 












Shoes . 
























Men's underwear, wool 












Men's underwear cotton . . 

























BUDGETARY STUDIES. 
PER CENTS OF SALARY EXPENDED FOR 



37 



Salary. 


Committee Table 


Chapin's Table 


Food. 


Clothing. 


Rent. 


Food. 


Clothing. 


Rent. 


Bases. 

$500- $599 


P. C. 

45 

45 

45 

45 

45 

45 

45 

45 

44K 

44 

43 K 

43 

42 K 

42 

41K 

40 

38K 

37 

37 

35 


P. C. 

12.4 

12.9 

13.4 

14 

14.6 

15.5 

15.5 

17 

17.2 

17.4 

17.6 

17.8 

18 

18.2 

18.5 

18.8 

19.1 

19.7 

20 

20 


P. C. 

25 
25 
25 
25 
25 
25 
25 
24 
24 
24 
24 
24 
24 
24 
23 
23 
22 
21 
20 
20 


P.C. 

44.4 
44.6 
45.6 
44.3 
44.7 
44.7 
45.6 
45.0 
43.6 
36.8 


P. C. 

12.4 
12.9 
13.4 
14.0 
14.6 
15.5 
14.9 
15.2 
13.7 
16.8 


P.C. 
25.9 
23.6 
21.9 
20.7 
19.0 
18.1 
16.2 
19.8 
16.8 
16.3 


600- 699 


700- 799 


800- 899 

900- 999 


1,000-1,099 


1,100-1,199 


1,200-1,299 


1,300-1,399 


1,400-1,499 


1,500-1,599 


1 600-1 699 








1,700-1,799 








1,800-1,899 








1,900-1,999 








2,000-2,099 . . 








2,100-2,299 








2,300-2,399 








2 400-2,499 








2,500 and up 

















"With this as a basis the committee set about determining the actual 
percentage increase in the cost of food, rent, and clothing. An increase 
of 10 per cent over the cost in 1915 was considered representative of the 
rise in the cost of rent, including fuel. To fix the increase in the price of 
food and clothing the committee employed the Annalist and Bradstreet 
indexes, supplemented by data furnished by committee members and 
other employees, and by figures reported by trade and Government pub- 
lications. 

"From these sources the accompanying table was drawn up showing 
the percentage increase in the cost of fresh vegetables, grains, raw ma- 
terials, meats, groceries, staples, and fabrics. Where possible, com- 
parisons were made for the whole year 1915 and the last half of 1917. 
In some instances, however, prices for given periods in 1915 had to be 
compared with prices for periods in 1917. The 'A' column was derived 
from American Grocer prices to jobbers, the 'B' column from a chain- 
store organization, the 'C' column from the United States Labor Bureau 
in New York, the 'D' column from The Butchers' and Packers' Gazette, 
the *E' column from a department store, and the *F' column from 
monthly crop reports of the United States Department of Agriculture. 

"For the purposes of the committee it was assumed that the increase 
in living cost began to show alarming proportions in July, 1916, and the 
greatest compensation was apportioned to those who had been in the 
service of the company prior to that date, the amounts being propor- 
tionately reduced for lesser terms of employment. Although their in- 
vestigations showed that the increase was slightly more, the committee 
took 80 per cent as a basis on which to make its adjustments and the 
trust company afterward authorized its findings. On this scale tables 



38 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



were prepared showing the approximated percentages of compensation 
to salary, and the actual amounts, at various salary bases and for varying 
terms of service, necessary to offset the increavSed cost of living for the 
six months ended last year. The percentages for those employed prior 
to July 1, 1916, are given here: 



Annual salary bases. 


Percentage, 
Inc. 


$500- $599 

600- 699 

700- 799 


48.4 
48.8 
49.2 
49.7 
50.2 
50.9 
50.9 
52.0 
51.8 
51.5 
51.2 
51.0 
50.8 
50.6 
50.3 
49.3 
48.3 
48.3 
47.5 
47.6 


800- 899 

900- 999 


1,000-1,099 


1,100-1,199 

1,200-1,299 


1,300-1,399 


1,400-1,499 


1,500-1,599 


1,600-1 699 


1,700-1,799 


1,800-1,899 


1.900-1,999 


2,000-2,099 


2,100-2,199 


2,200-2,299 


2,300-2,399 


2,400-2,499 


2 ,500 and up . . , 





'A fixed sum of $575. 



''These percentages were arrived at as follows: Taking the case of 
an employee receiving $2,000 a year salary, it was found by reference to 
the amended Chapin table that he spent 40 per cent of his salary, or 
$800 a year, for food; 18.8 per cent, or $376 a year, for clothing, 
and 23 per cent, or $460 a year, for rent. Figuring an 80 per 
cent increase in the cost of food and clothing, it was assumed 
that this man spent $940.80 additional for these items, and, allowing for 
a 10 per cent increase in rent, added $46 more, a total of $986.80 for the 
year, or $493.40 for the last six months of the year, a percentage of 49.34 
of his salary. 

"The conclusions of this banking committee are probably applicable 
to a large share of the community whose manner of living compares to 
that of the investigators, and their findings are of interest even to the man 
who cannot look forward to the receipt of a bonus to cover his increased 
expenses. At least he can discover the sources from which come the 
strongest attacks on his income and, so far as these may be offset by 
hard-practiced economy, the committee findings offer him a guide where 
best to aim his efforts. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 39 

7.— CHANGES IN THE STANDARD OF LIVING IN THE DISTRICT 

OF COLUMBIA AS AFFECTED BY THE INCREASED 

COST OF LIVING 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has made comparable studies of the 
cost of living in the District of Columbia for widely separate years, 
namely, 1901 and 1916. The study for 1901 is contained in its Eighteenth 
Annual Report of the cost of living, which appeared in 1904, and forms 
part of the larger study for the whole United States for that period. 
The second was made in 1916 and the results of the investigation pub- 
lished in the 1917 issue of the Monthly Review for October, November 
and December. 

The study applies to the average-sized family of a wife, husband and 
three children. The families in each case are divided into certain well 
marked income groups. It is possible to compare expenditures for 
different items of expenditures made by the families in similar income 
groups in 1901 and 1916. The first table below shows the actual amounts 
expended for the items of food, clothing, rent, fuel and lighting and 
sundries for each group of families in five different income classes. 

Table 1 below shows the actual expenses, and Table 2 the percentage 
distribution of the same items of expenditures. 

Taking the income group in which the families earn $1100 and under 
$1200 per year, it appears that in 1900, families of that amount of in- 
come spent 40.3 per cent for food, while in 1916 they were compelled to 
spend 42.5 per cent of their income for food. The families of 1916, 
presumably because of the increased cost of necessities, such as food, 
had only 9 per cent to spend for clothing as against 13.8 per cent in 
1900, and 21.4 per cent for sundries such as insurance, club dues, amuse- 
ments, in a word, the "cultural wants,' ' as against 23 per cent for families 
in 1900. Families in 1917 were compelled to increase their expenditures 
for fuel and lighting to 6.9 per cent of their budget over 5.1 per cent 
in 1900. 

Similar changes of the ones outlined above for the income class $1100 
and under $1200 per annum are shown in all the other income groups. 
There is clearly evident a reduction in the standard of living in 1916> 
over 1900 for similar income groups. 



40 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



TABLE 1. 

ACTUAL AMOUNT EXPENDED FOR DIFFERENT ITEMS OF EXPENDITURES BY FAMI- 
LIES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, CLASSIFIED BY INCOME GROUPS, 
IN THE YEARS OF 1900 AND 1917. 



ITEMS 


$800 and 
under $900 


$900 and 
under $1000 


$1000 and 
under $1100 


$1100 and 
under $1200 


$1200 and 
over 


1901 


1916 


1901 


1916 


1901 


1916 


1901 


1916 


1901 


1916 


Food . . . 


$303 


$370 


$345 


$406 




$494 


$418 


$494 


$445 


$504 




Clothing 


107 


75 


109 


88 




104 


143 


104 


199 


121 


Rent 


131 


187 


142 


214 




235 


185 


235 


179 


258 




Fuel and light. . 


45 


59 


44 


67 




80 


52 


80 


57 


79 


Sundries 


148 


172 


237 


184 




24, 


238 


249 


321 


268 


Total 


$734 


$863 


$877 


$959 




$1162 


$1036 


$1162 


$1201 


$1230 



TABLE 2. 

PER CENT OF EXPENDITURES EXPENDED FOR DIFFERENT ITEMS OF EXPENDI- 
TURES BY FAMILIES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, CLASSIFIED BY 
INCOME GROUPS, IN THE YEARS OF 1901 AND 1916 



ITEMS 


$800 and 
under $900 


$900 and 
under $1000 


$1000 and 
under $1100 


$1100 and 
under $1200 


$1200 and 
over 


1901 


1916 


1901 


1916 


1901 


1916 


1901 


1916 


1901 


1916 


Food 


41.3 


42.9 


39.3 


42.3 




42.5 


40.3 


42.5 


37.0 


41.0 


Clothing 


14.6 


8.7 


12.4 


9.2 




8.9 


13.8 


9 


16.6 


9.8 


Rent 


17.8 


21.7 


16.2 


22.3 




20.2 


17.8 


20.2 


14.9 


21.0 


Fuel and light. . . 


6.1 


6.8 


5.0 


7. 




7.0 


5.1 


6.9 


4.8 


6.4 


Sundries 


20.2 


19.9 


27.0 


19.2 




21.4 


23. 


21.4 


26.7 


21.8 


Total 


100. 


100.0 


100.0 


100.0 


100.0 


100.0 


100.0 


100.0 


100.0 


100.0 



PART II 



OFFICIAL, DOCUMENTARY AND OTHER AUTHORI 
TATIVE DATA RELATIVE TO PRICES, FAMILY 
BUDGETS, AND INCREASED LIVING COSTS. 

41 



CHAPTER I 



RETAIL PRICES 
1.— SCOPE OF STUDY AND METHOD OF OBTAINING 
PRICES BY UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LABOR 
STATISTICS. 



The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics since the year 1907 
has published annual returns as to retail prices in the principal cities of 
the country. From these data have also been worked out relative prices 
for the principal articles of foodstuffs for the country as a whole. 

According to the preliminary statement of the last annual report 
there are sent to the Bureau from 46 of the most important industrial 
cities in the various sections of the United States, returns as to retail 
prices of the principal articles of food, the weight and prices of the 
principal brands of wheat bread, the retail prices of articles of dry goods, 
the retail prices of anthracite and bituminous coal, and of gas for house- 
hold use. "Data are furnished to the Bureau," the report states, 
"by approximately 725 retail stores, 150 bakeries, 215 retail coal dealers, 
66 gas companies, and 205 dry-goods companies. 

"Excellent results have followed the use of the form books for report- 
ing prices. Over 90 per cent of the reports for January to December, 
1916, requested from retail merchants, dairymen and bakers were re- 
ceived. A number of merchants have also stated that the stub record 
of prices was of considerable value to them, as it is an easy method of 
preserving a record of prices each month from year to year. In several 
cities practically every report requested from merchants, dairymen, 
and bakers has been received each month. This is notably true for 
Atlanta, Baltimore, Indianapolis, New York, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. 
Almost every coal firm, gas company, and dry-goods merchant from 
whom price statements were requested has also responded to the request. 

"The 46 cities included in this report are important industrial cities, 
representing 33 States. In a general way the city selected in each sec- 
tion of the country was the city having the largest population in that 
section; but, in addition, six smaller cities were included as being in- 
dustrially important in those sections. The six cities are Bridgeport, 
Conn.; Butte, Mont.; El Paso, Tex.; Fall River, Mass.; Scranton, Pa.; 
and Springfield, 111. 

43 



44 RETAIL PRICES. 

"Within the 46 cities Hve one-fifth of the total number of people, 
two-fifths of the urban population, and approximately one-third of the 
total number engaged in gainful occupations (not including those in 
agricultural pursuits) in continental United States." 

2.— INDEX NUMBERS OF RETAIL PRICES OF ALL 
ARTICLES OF FOOD, 1907-1917. 

Taking the retail prices of the 15 articles of food as a whole for which 
returns are secured, the Bureau has constructed, according to the 
relative articles of foodstuffs in the budget of a typical workingman's 
family, an index number of retail prices for the ten years, 1907-1917. 
The results of these computations are set forth in the table below, 
which shows by years the index numbers of retail prices of food, 1907- 
1916, and, by months, January-October, 1917. 



INDEX NUMBERS OF RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD, 1907 TO OCTOBER, 1917. 

Retail Prices 
Year of Food. 

1907 100 

1908 103 

1909 108 

1910 113 

1911 112 

1912 119 

1913 122 

1914 125 

1915 123 

1916 139 

January, 1917 156 

February, 1917 162 

March, 1917 162 

April, 1917 : 177 

May, 1917 184 

June, 1917 185 

July, 1917 178 

August, 1917 181 

September, 1917 187 

October, 1917 192 

3.— AVERAGE AND RELATIVE PRICES OF FIFTEEN 
ARTICLES OF FOOD, 1912-1917. 

The table next presented shows both the average and relative prices 
of 27 principal foodstuffs by years, 1912-1916, and for October, 1917. 
It has been compiled from the records of the United States Bureau of 
Labor Statistics. 



RETAIL PRICES. 



45 



AVERAGE AND RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF FIFTEEN PRINCIPAL ARTICLES 
OF FOOD. BY YEARS AND BY ARTICLES. 1912-1917 



Article. 


Unit. 


Average Money Price, September 15. 


1912 


1913 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


Sirloin steak 

RoundSteak 

Rib roast 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Doz 

Lb 

Lb 

Qt 

16 oz. loaf 1. 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


$0,246 
.208 
.191 
.179 
.131 

.220 
.255 
.253 
.154 
.203 

!349 
.359 

■.086 

!634 
.031 

!6i6 
!662 


$0,262 
.233 
.199 

.227 
.281 
.282 
.161 
.215 

'.375 
.378 

!689 

;633 
.031 

.019 
;057 


$0,270 
.247 
.208 
.179 
.131 

.236 
.290 
.291 
.156 
.219 

.368 
.378 

'.089 

.057 
.037 
.033 

'.018 
;079 


$0,265 
.238 
.204 
.165 
.123 

.225 
.270 
.262 
.138 
.208 

.198 
.349 
.335 
.227 
.088 

.062 
.038 
.033 
.091 
.014 

.030 
.076 
.135 
.125 
.065 

.299 
.546 


$0,284 
.257 
.218 
.177 
.131 

.261 
.296 
.332 
.222 
.243 

.202 
.413 
.390 
.230 
.091 

.068 
.048 
.034 
.091 
.028 

.046 
.121 
.134 
.129 
.077 

.299 
.546 


$0,333 
.296 
.259 
.218 
.163 

.388 
.442 
.409 
.296 
.302 

.277 
.525 
.496 
.335 
.118 

.088 
.073 
.082 
.108 
.045 

.046 
.188 
.163 
.148 
.098 

.305 
.612 


Chuckroast 

Plate beef 

Pork chops 


Ham 


Lard 


Hens 


Salmon, canned. . . . 
Eggs 


Butter 


Cheese 


Milk 


Bread 


Flour ... 


Corn meal 

Rice 


Potatoes 




Beans, navy 


Raisins, seeded 

Sugar . ... 


Coffee 


Tea 


All articles combined 




Article. 


Unit. 


Relative Price, September 15. 


1912 


1913 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


Sirloin steak 

Round steak 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Doz 

Lb 

Lb 

Qt 

16 oz. loaf 1 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


90 
85 
90 
104 
102 

97 
89 
86 
88 
86 

93 
. 91 

"95 

78 
92 

'61 

'77 


96 
95 
94 

100 
98 
96 
92 
91 

ioo 

96 
98 

'74 
91 

n 
'n 


99 
101 

98 
104 
102 

104 

101 

99 

89 

93 

98 
96 

'98 

87 
84 
97 

68 

■99 
'94 


97 
97 
96 
96 
96 

99 
94 
89 
79 

88 

98 
93 
85 
88 
97 

96. 
87 
96 
100 
51 

61 

69 
101 

97 

81 
100 
100 

89 


104 
105 
103 
103 
102 

115 
103 
113 
127 
103 

100 

110 

99 

89 

100 

105 
110 
100 
100 
104 

94 
110 
100 
100 

96 
100 
100 
104 


122 
121 
122 
127 
127 

171 
154 
139 
169 

128 

137 
140 
126 
130 
130 

135 
166 
241 
119 
111 

94 
171 
122 
115 
123 
102 
112 
134 


Chuck roast 

Plate beef 


Pork chops 


Ham 


Lard 


Hens 


Salmon, canned .... 
Eggs 


Butter 


Cheese 


Milk 


Bread 


Flour 


Corn meal . . 


Rice 


Potatoes . .... 


Onions 


Beans, navy 

Prunes 


Raisins, seeded 


Coffee 


Tea 


All articles combined 


86 1 90 






1 



116 ounces, weight of dough. 



46 



RETAIL PRICES. 



The table which is next submitted supplements the preceding table 
and carries the comparison as to prices back to 1907. It shows relative 
retail prices of 27 leading articles of food by years for the period 1907- 
1916, and by months from January, 1912, up to and including Sep- 
tember, 1917. 

RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF FOODSTUFFS, BY YEARS, 1907-1916 AND BY 

MONTHS, JANUARY 1912-SEPTEMBER 1917. 

(Compiled from the Reports of the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.) 

[Average price for 1916=100.] 



Year or month. 



Sir- 
loin 
steak. 



Round 
steak. 



Rib 

roast. 



i Plate J 

Chuck j boiling j Pork 

roast. beef. Chops. 



Bacon. 


Ham. 


Lard. 


70 


69 


73 


72 


71 


73 


78 


75 


81 


89 


84 


94 


86 


82 


80 


85 


83 


84 


94 


92 


90 


96 


93 


89 


94 


89 


84 


100 


100 


100 


81 


79 


78 


80 


79 


78 


80 


79 


78 


82 


81 


80 


84 


83 


84 


84 


83 


85 


85 


84 


85 


85 


84 


86 


89 


86 


88 


91 


86 


91 


91 


86 


91 


90 


85 


90 


89 


86 


88 


89 


86 


88 


91 


89 


89 


93 


90 


90 


94 


91 


90 


95 


93 


90 


97 


96 


91 


98 


97 


92 


98 


96 


92 


97 


94 


91 


95 


92 


91 


93 


90 


90 


92 


90 


90 


92 


90 


90 


93 


90 


89 


93 


91 


89 


93 


91 


89 


94 


92 


88 


95 


95 


88 


100 


99 


89 


101 


99 


89 


100 


96 


89 


98 


93 


89 


97 


91 


88 



1907 

1908 

1909 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1912. 

January. . , 
February . , 
March . . . . 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 
October . . , 
November 
December . 

1913. 

January.. , 
February. 
March. . . 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August. . . 
September 
October. . 
November 
December . 

1914. 

January . . 
February. 
March ... 
April . . . . , 

May 

June 

July 

August. . . 
September 
October . . 
November 
December , 



66 
68 
71 
75 
75 
85 
93 
95 
94 
100 



92 
93. 
93 
93 
95 
96 
99 
102 
99 
96 
93 
94 



62 
65 
67 
71 
72 
81 
91 
96 
94 
100 



93 

93 

94 

94 

95 

97 

100 

103 

101 

97 

96 

94 



71 
73 
76 
79 
79 
87 
93 
96 
94 
100 



93 
94 
94 
95 
95 
96 
98 
101 
98 
97 
96 
94 



100 

95 

100 



98 

98 

98 

99 

99 

100 

102 

105 

104 

101 

97 

96 



99 

95 

100 



69 
70 
76 
85 
79 
84 
92 
97 
89 
100 



82 
83 
89 
94 
92 
91 
95 
96 
100 
99 
95 
89 



96 


91 


97 


92 


97 


92 


97 


95 


98 


98 


98 


95 


99 


98 


02 


110 


0?. 


104 


00 


101 


00 


96 


98 


86 



RETAIL PRICES. 



47 



RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF FOODSTUFFS, BY YEARS. 1907-1916 AND BY 
MONTHS. JANUARY 1912-SEPTEMBER 1917— Continued. 
[Average price for 1916=100.] 



Year or month. 



Sir- 








Plate 


loin 


Round 


Rib 


Chuck 


boiling 


steak. 


steak. 


roast. 


roast. 


beef. 


93 


93 


94 


95 


97 


91 


91 


93 


94 


96 


90 


90 


92 


93 


95 


92 


91 


93 


93 


95 


94 


94 


94 


95 


96 


96 


96 


96 


96 


96 


97 


98 


97 


97 


96 


97 


97 


96 


97 


96 


97 


97 


96 


96 


96 


95 


95 


95 


96 


95 


94 


93 


94 


94 


94 


92 


92 


93 


93 


93 


94 


93 


94 


94 


94 


94 


93 


95 


94 


95 


96 


95 


97 


96 


97 


99 


98 


99 


100 


100 


102 


102 


102 


102 


102 


105 


106 


105 


106 


105 


105 


106 


104 


104 


103 


104 


105 


103 


103 


101 


104 


105 


103 


103 


102 


101 


101 


100 


101 


101 


99 


99 


99 


99 


100 


98 


98 


99 


98 


100 


101 


101 


102 


101 


103 


105 


106 


106 


108 


110 


108 


109 


110 


112 


114 


116 


118 


119 


123 


126 


118 


121 


121 


127 


130 


120 


123 


123 


129 


133 


120 


125 


121 


127 


129 


121 


126 


120 


126 


134 


122 


121 


122 


127 


127 



Pork 

chops. 



Bacon. 



Ham. 


Lard. 


90 


88 


88 


87 


87 


87 


86 


86 


87 


86 


89 


86 


90 


83 


89 


80 


89 


79 


90 


82 


91 


83 


92 


83 


100 


100 


101 


101 


103 


104 


106 


107 


108 


115 


109 


117 


110 


119 


111 


120 


113 


127 


113 


132 


113 


146 


113 


148 


104 


122 


108 


125 


115 


136 


124 


151 


132 


159 


133 


160 


135 


157 


134 


158 


139 


169 



1915. 

January . . . 
February . . 
March . . . . 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August . . . . 
September 
October . . . 
November, 
December . 

1916. 
January. . . 
February . . 
March . . . . 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August . . . . 
September 
October. . . 
November. 
December . 

1917. 

January. . . 
February. . 
March . . . . 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August . . . . 
September. 



82 
79 
78 
87 
92 
91 
93 
95 
99 
102 
92 
81 



82 

85 

96 

99 

101 

102 

103 

107 

115 

109 

103 

98 



104 
115 
123 
135 
135 
136 
139 
152 
171 



95 

95 

96 

98 

99 

100 

101 

102 

103 

104 

104 

104 



103 
107 
116 
133 
145 
148 
149 
150 
154 



48 



RETAIL PRICES. 



RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF FOODSTUFFS. BY YEARS, 1907-1916 AND BY 

MONTHS, JANUARY 1912-SEPTEMBER 1917=Continued. 

[Average price for 1916 — 100.] 



Year or month. 


Hens. 


Sal- 
mon, 
canned. 


Eggs. 


Butter. 


Cheese. 


Milk. 


Biead. 


Flour. 


Corn 
meal. 


1907 


74 
75 
80 
85 
82 
84 
90 
92 
88 
100 

81 
82 
85 
87 
87 
84 
84 
85 
86 
85 
83 
83 

86 
88 
91 
94 
94 
93 
92 
91 
91 
90 
87 
88 

90 
94 
95 
98 
96 
93 
93 
94 
93 
91 
87 
85 


■■■■98" 
100 


77 
79 
85 
90 
86 
91 
92 
94 
91 
100 

117 

107 

73 

70 

69 

70 

76 

82 

93 

104 

120 

112 

99 

84 

70 

67 

70 

74 

80 

88 

100 

111 

132 

127 

116 

97 

82 

68 

71 

75 

80 

89 

98 

104 

120 

127 


83 
83 
88 
91 
85 
95 
97 
92 
91 
100 

109 
100 
94 
95 
92 
86 
85 
86 
91 
95 
99 
105 

104 

105 

105 

103 

91 

89 

88 

90 

96 

97 

98 

101 

101 
91 
89 
83 
83 
85 
87 
92 
96 
95 
100 
100 


■■96" 
100 


85 
88 
89 
93 
94 
95 
98 
98 
97 
100 

95 
95 
95 
95 
94 
94 
94 
95 
95 
97 
98 
98 

98 
98 
98 
97 
97 
97 
97 
97 
98 
99 
100 
100 

100 
100 
99 
98 
98 
97 
97 
98 
98 
99 
99 
99 


■■"86" 
96 
100 

85 
85 
85 
85 
85 
85 
85 
86 
87 
88 
88 
89 


71 
75 
81 
80 
76 
78 
74 
77 
93 
100 

77 
77 
77 
78 
81 
82 
81 
79 
78 
77 
76 
74 

74 

?! 

74 
75 
75 
75 
74 
74 
74 
74 
73 

73 
73 
74 
74 
74 
73 
73 
79 
84 
83 
83 
84 


78 
82 
83 
84 
84 
90 
89 
93 
96 
100 

87 
87 
87 
89 
92 
92 
92 
92 
92 
92 
91 
89 

88 
87 
87 
87 
87 
87 
87 
88 
91 
92 
92 
92 

92 
92 
91 
91 
92 
92 
92 
93 
97 
97 
96 
95 


1908 


1909 


1910 


1911 


1912 . 


1913 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1912. 

January 

February 

March 

April 


May 




July 


August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

1913. 

January 

February 

March 

April 


May 


June 




August 

September. . . . 

October 

November 

December 

1914. 

January 

February 

March 

April 


May 




July 


August 

September 

October 

November 

December 



RETAIL PRICES. 



49 



RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF FOODSTUFFS, BY YEARS. 1907-1916 AND BY 

MONTHS, JANUARY 1912-SEPTEMBER 1917— Continued. 

[Average price for 1916=100.] 







Sal- 
















Year or month. 


Hens. 


mon, 
canned. 


Eggs. 


Butter. 


Cheese. 


Milk. 


Bread. 


Flour. 


Corn 
meal- 


1915. 




















January 


86 


98 


118 


98 


90 


99 


92 


92 


97 


February 


88 


98 


90 


96 


91 


98 


97 


102 


98 


March 


90 


98 


68 


91 


90 


97 


97 


101 


97 


April 


91 
91 
89 
88 


98 
98 
98 
98 


69 
70 
71 

74 


91 

88 
88 
87 


90 
91 
91 
90 


97 
96 
96 
96 


97 
98 
98 
97 


102 

103 

96 

93 


97 
97 
97 
96 


May 




July 


August 


87 


98 


81 


85 


88 


97 


97 


92 


96 


September 


88 


98 


93 


85 


88 


97 


96 


87 


96 


October 


87 


98 


107 


89 


89 


97 


95 


84 


96 


November 


86 


98 


122 


93 


90 


98 


95 


84 


95 


December 


86 


98 


124 


98 


92 


98 


95 


85 


95 


1916. 




















January 


92 


99 


113 


97 


94 


98 


95 


89 


95 


February 


94 


99 


93 


96 


96 


98 


95 


93 


96 


March 


97 


99 


76 


102 


97 


97 


95 


89 


95 


April 


100 
102 
103 
102 
101 


99 
99 
99 
99 
100 


73 

75 
80 
85 
97 


105 
94 
92 
90 
93 


96 
96 
95 
94 
95 


97 
97 
97 
97 
99 


95 
95 
95 
95 
98 


89 
89 
87 
86 
100 


96 
96 
96 
96 
98 


May 


June 


July 


August 


September 


103 


100 


110 


99 


99 


100 


105 


110 


100 


October 


103 


101 


122 


106 


104 


103 


111 


115 


104 


November 


101 


103 


137 


111 


113 


106 


115 


129 


112 


December 


102 


105 


141 


114 


120 


110 


107 


124 


116 


1917. 




















January 


108 


106 


145 


115 


121 


109 


108 


127 


118 


February 


113 


107 


135 


119 


122 


110 


109 


127 


120 


March 


117 


110 


93 


117 


125 


110 


110 


130 


122 


April 


123 


117 


103 


129 


128 


112 


115 


153 


137 


May 


124 
122 
119 
118 


127 
130 
132 
134 


106 
109 
112 
123 


118 
119 
117 
121 


131 
131 
128 
127 


115 
116 
122 
125 


130 
131 
135 
140 


198 
183 
164 
170 


158 
162 
174 
194 




July 


August 


September 


128 


137 


140 


126 


130 


130 


135 


166 


241 



50 



RETAIL PRICES. 



RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF FOODSTUFFS, BY YEARS. 1907-1916 AND BY 

MONTHS, JANUARY 1912-SEPTEMBER 1917— Continued. 

[Average price for 1916=100.] 



Year or month. 


Rice. 


Pota- 
toes. 


Onions. 


Beans. 


Prunes. 


Raisins. 


Sugar. 


Coffee. 


Tea. 


1907 




68 
72 
73 
65 
84 
85 
65 
70 
57 
100 

94 

98 

105 

117 

110 

109 

82 

72 

61 

58 

58 

58 

59 
58 
57 
56 
59 
67 
71 
71 
71 
68 
69 
69 

70 
70 
69 

68 
72 
85 
100 
72 
68 
58 
54 
54 










72 
74 
73 
75 
76 
79 
68 
74 
82 
100 

83 
83 
84 
81 
79 
79 
77 
77 
77 
76 
75 
74 

73 
69 
68 
67 
67 
66 
68 
70 
71 
69 
68 
67 

65 
64 
64 
62 
62 
64 
65 
98 
99 
90 
77 
75 






1908 
















1909 
















1910 
















1911 
















1912 
















1913 
















1914 
















1915 

1916 

1912. 


100 
100 


71 
100 


71 
100 


101 
100 


97 
100 


100 
100 


100 
100 


February 
















March 
















April 
















May 
















June 
















July 
















August 
















September 
















October 
































December. . . . 
















1913. 
January 
















February 

















March 
















April 
















May 
















June 
















July 
















August 
































October 
































December 
















1914. 
January. 
























March .... 
































May . . 
































July . . . 
































September 
















October 
















November 

















































RETAIL PRICES. 



51 



RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF FOODSTUFFS, BY YEARS. 1907-1916 AND BY 
MONTHS, JANUARY 1912-SEPTEMBER 1917— Continued. 
[Average price for 1916=100.] 



Year or month. 



1915. 
January. . 
February . 
March ... 
April .... 

May 

June 

July 

August. . . 
September 
October. . 
November 
December . 



1916. 

January. . 
February . 
March . . . 
April .... 

May 

June 

July 

August . . . 
September 
October. . 
November 
December 



1917. 

January. . . 
Februaiy. . 
March . . . . 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August. . . . 
September, 



Rice. 



100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
99 
99 



100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 



100 
100 
100 
104 
ll.S 
119 
116 
116 
119 



Pota- 
toes. 



91 

90 

89 

91 

108 

87 

91 

104 

106 

128 

128 



145 
188 
192 
219 
227 
237 
159 
133 
HI 



Onions. 



83 

90 

91 

98 

104 

111 

109 

102 

94 

96 

105 

116 



141 
249 
255 
273 
176 
142 
104 
94 
94 



Beans. 



66 


102 


69 


102 


69 


102 


70 


102 


69 


102 


69 


101 


69 


101 


69 


101 


69 


101 


72 


100 


77 


99 


81 


99 



83 

84 

84 

85 

85 

88 

106 

110 

110 

111 

124 

130 



132 
135 
140 
152 
174 
177 
177 
175 
171 



Prunes. 



99 

99 

99 

99 

99 

99 

100 

100 

100 

101 

103 

103 



104 
105 
105 
108 
114 
117 
119 
121 
122 



Raisins. 



98 

98 

98 

98 

98 

98 

99 

99 

100 

101 

106 

108 



109 
109 
109 
110 
112 
l'l3 
115 
115 
115 



J gar. 


Coffee. 


75 


100 


80 


100 


82 


100 


83 


100 


85 


100 


86 


100 


87 


100 


84 


100 


81 


100 


76 


100 


81 


100 


84 


100 


84 


100 


85 


100 


93 


100 


99 


100 


106 


100 


108 


100 


109 


100 


106 


100 


96 


100 


102 


100 


107 


100 


104 


100 


100 


100 


101 


100 


109 


100 


120 


100 


125 


101 


116 


101 


114 


102 


124 


102 


123 


102 



Tea. 



100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 



100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 



100 
100 
100 
101 
102 
104 

no 
no 

112 



52 



RETAIL PRICES. 



4.— CHANGE IN AVERAGE PRICES AND IN AMOUNT OF 

VARIOUS ARTICLES OF FOOD THAT COULD BE 

BOUGHT FOR ONE DOLLAR, 1890-1917. 

To show the changes and results of changes in retail prices of food for 
a period of 28 years, from 1890 to 1917, inclusive, the table next pre- 
sented has been prepared from the figures appearing in the reports and 
bulletins of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. It shows 
the average price of each article and the average amount of each of 15 
articles of food that could be bought for $1, each year of the period, 
except for two articles — sirloin steak and rib roast — for which satis- 
factory data were available only for the years 1907-1917. Prices for 
1917 are as of November 15th. 

An explanation of the method of compiling this table is given in the 
appendix of Bulletin 197, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 



AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF FOODS AND AMOUNT PURCHASABLE FOR $1, 
EACH YEAR, 1890-1917. 



Year. 


Sirloin steak. 


Round steak. 


Rib roast. 


Pork chops. 


Bacon. 


Average 
retail 
price. 


Amount 
bought 
for$l. 


Average 
retail 
price. 


Amount 
bought 
for$l. 


Average 
retail 
price. 


Amount 
bought 
for$l. 


Average 
retail 
price. 


Amount 
bought 
for$l. 


Average 
retail 
price. 


Amount 
bought 
for$l. 


1890. . . 


Per lb. 


Lbs. 


Per lb 
$0,123 
.124 
.124 
.124 
.122 

.123 
.124 
.125 
.127 
.129 

.132 
.138 
.147 
.140 
.141 

.140 
.145 
.150 
.157 

.162 
.173 
.173 
.198 

.221 
.234 
.228 
.245 
.309 


Lbs. 
8.1 
8.1 
8.1 
8.1 
8.2 

8.1 
8.1 
8.0 
7.9 

7.8 

7.6 
7.2 
6.8 
7.1 
7.1 

7.1 
6.9 
6.7 
6.4 

6.2 
5.8 
5.8 
5.1 

4.5 
4.3 
4.4 
4.1 
3.2 


Per lb. 


Lbs. 


Per lb. 

$0,107 
.109 
.111 
.118 
.112 

.110 
.107 
.lOS 
.109 
.112 

.119 
.130 
.141 
.140 
.137 

.139 
.152 
.157 
.161 

.175 
.193 
.179 
.193 

.211 
.222 
.203 
.227 
.388 


Lbs. 
9.3 
9.2 
9.0 
8.5 
8.9 

9.1 
9.3 
9.3 
9.2 
8.9 

8.4 
7.7 
7.1 
7.1 
7.3 

7.2 
6.6 
6.4 
6.2 

5.7 
5.2 
5.6 
5.2 

4.7 
4.5 
4.9 
4.4 
2.6 


Per lb. 

$0,125 
.126 
.129 
.142 
.135 

.130 
.126 
.127 
.131 
.134 

.143 
.158 
.177 
.182 
.180 

.181 
.196 
.205 
.210 

.227 
.260 
.251 
.249 

.273 
.279 
.273 
.287 
.482 


Lbs. 
8.0 
7.9 
7.8 
7.0 
7.4 

7.7 
7.9 
7.9 
7.6 

7.5 

7.0 
6.3 
5.6 
5.5 
5.6 

5.5 
5.1 
4.9 
4.8 

4.4 
3.8 
4.0 
4.0 

3.7 
3.6 
3.7 
3.5 
2.1 


1891 










1892 










1893 




.' 






1894 










1895. . 










1896 


• . . 








1897 . . . 










1898 






1899 










1900 










1901 










1902 










1903 










1904 










1905 










1906 










1907 


$0,181 
.186 

.194 
.202 
.204 
.230 

.253 
.258 
.255 
.273 
.330 


5.5 
5.4 

5.2 
5.0 
4.9 
4.3 

4.0 
3.9 
3.9 
3.7 
3.3 


$0,150 

.154 

.160 
.166 
.168 
.184 

.198 
.204 
.200 
.212 
.257 


6.7 
6.5 

6.3 
6.0 
6.4 
5.0 

5.1 
4.9 
5.0 
4.7 
3.9 


1908 . . . 


1909 


1910 


1911 


1912 


1913 

1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 





RETAIL PRICES. 



53 



AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF FOODS AND AMOUNT PURCHASABLE FOR $1, 
EACH YEAR, 1890-1917— Continued. 



Year. 



Ham. 


Lard. 


Hens. 


Eggs. 


Butter. 


Average 


Amount 


Average 


Amount 


Average 


Amount 


Average 


Amount 


Average 


Amount 


retail 


bought 


retail 


bought 


ratail 


bought 


retail 


bought 


retail 


bought 


price. 


for$l 


price. 


for$l. 


price. 


for$l. 


price. 


for$l. 


price. 


for$l. 


Per lb. 


Lbs. 


Per lb. 


Lbs. 


Per lb. 


Lbs. 


Perdoz. 


Doz. 


Per lb. 


Lbs. 


$0,152 


6.6 


$0,093 


10.8 


$0,135 


7.4 


$0,208 


4.8 


$0,255 


3.9 


.153 


6.5 


.094 


10.6 


.139 


7.2 


.221 


4.5 


.274 


3.6 


.157 


6.4 


.098 


10.2 


.138 


7.2 


.221 


4.5 


.275 


3.6 


.168 


6.0 


.112 


8.9 


.139 


7.2 


.224 


4.5 


.283 


3.5 


.157 


6.4 


.101 


9.9 


.131 


7.6 


.199 


5.0 


.261 


3.8 


.152 


6.6 


.095 


10.5 


.131 


7.6 


.206 


4.9 


.249 


4.0 


.150 


6.7 


.088 


11.4 


.129 


7.8 


.192 


5.2 


.238 


4.2 


.151 


6.6 


.085 


11.8 


.125 


8.0 


.189 


5.3 


.239 


4.2 


.146 


6.8 


.089 


11.2 


.129 


7.8 


.199 


5.0 


.244 


4.1 


.153 


6.5 


.092 


10.9 


.136 


7.4 


.209 


4.8 


.251 


4.0 


.162 


6.2 


.099 


10.1 


.134 


7.5 


.207 


4.8 


.261 


3.8 


.169 


5.9 


.112 


8.9 


.137 


7.3 


.219 


4.6 


.265 


3.8 


.184 


5.4 


.127 


7.9 


.151 


6.6 


.247 


4.0 


.287 


3.5 


.187 


5.3 


.120 


8.3 


.158 


6.3 


.259 


3.9 


.285 


3.5 


.182 


5.5 


.111 


9.0 


.161 


6.2 


.271 


3.7 


.280 


3.6 


.182 


5.5 


.110 


9.1 


.165 


6.1 


.272 


3.7 


.290 


3.4 


.196 


5.1 


.121 


8.3 


.172 


5.8 


.278 


3.6 


.304 


3.3 


.201 


5.0 


.127 


7.9 


.175 


5.7 


.285 


3.5 


.328 


3.0 


.207 


4.8 


.127 


7.9 


.177 


5.6 


.291 


3.4 


.331 


3.0 


.217 


4.6 


.142 


7.0 


.189 


5.3 


.315 


3.2 


.349 


2.9 


.243 


4.1 


.164 


6.1 


.200 


5.0 


.332 


3.0 


.364 


2.7 


.238 


4.2 


.141 


7.1 


.194 


5.2 


.318 


3.1 


.339 


2.9 


.240 


4.2 


.148 


6.8 


.200 


5.0 


.335 


3.0 


.378 


2.6 


.266 


3.8 


.158 


6.3 


.214 


4.7 


.338 


3.0 


.385 


2.6 


.271 


3.7 


.157 


6.4 


.219 


4.6 


.348 


2.9 


.364 


2.7 


.258 


3.9 


.148 


6.8 


.208 


4.8 


.335 


3.0 


.360 


2.8 


.294 


3.4 


.175 


5.7 


.236 


4.2 


.375 


2.7 


.394 


2.5 


.426 


2.3 


.371 


2.7 


.312 


3.2 


.551 


1.8 


.508 


2.0 



Mi 


k. 


Flour. 


Com 


meal. 


Potatoes. 


Sugar. 


Per qt. 


Qts. 


Prlbbl. 
bag. 


Bags. 


Per lb. 


Lbs. 


Perpk. 


Pecks. 


Per lb. 


Lbs. 


$0,068 


14.7 


$0,711 


1.41 


$0,019 


52.6 


$0,247 


4.0 


$0,069 


14.5 


.068 


14.7 


.729 


1.37 


.021 


47.6 


.264 


3.8 


.060 


16.7 


.068 


14.7 


.681 


1.47 


.020 


50.0 


.217 


4.6 


.056 


17.9 


.068 


14.7 


.623 


1.61 


. .020 


50.0 


.254 


3.9 


.059 


16.9 


.068 


14.7 


.575 


1.74 


.019 


52.6 


.232 


4.3 


.055 


18.2 


.068 


14.7 


.577 


1.73 


.019 


52.6 


.208 


4.8 


.053 


18.9 


.068 


14.7 


.601 


1.66 


.018 


55.6 


.174 


5.7 


.056 


17.9 


.067 


14.9 


.676 


1.48 


.018 


55.6 


.211 


4.7 


.056 


17.9 


.067 


14.9 


.696 


1.44 


.018 


55.6 


.239 


4.2 


.059 


16.9 


.067 


14.9 


.613 


1.63 


.018 


55.6 


.218 


4.6 


.059 


16.9 


.068 


14.7 


.611 


1.64 


.019 


52.6 


.212 


4.7 


.061 


16.4 


.068 


14.7 


.612 


1.63 


.020 


50.0 


.264 


3.8 


.060 


16.7 


.070 


14.3 


.615 


1.63 


.023 


43.5 


.265 


3.8 


.056 


17.9 


.072 


13.9 


.656 


1.52 


.023 


43.5 


.260 


3.8 


.056 


17.9 


.072 


13.9 


.777 


1.29 


.023 


43.5 


.275 


3.6 


.059 


16.9 


.072 


13.9 


.777 


1.29 


.023 


43.5 


.249 


4.0 


.060 


16.7 


.074 


13.5 


.701 


1.43 


.023 


43.5 


.259 


3.9 


.057 


17.5 


.079 


12.7 


.763 


1.31 


.025 


40.0 


.273 


3.7 


.058 


17.2 


.081 


12.3 


.813 


1.23 


.027 


37.0 


.286 


3.5 


.059 


16.9 


.083 


12.0 


.873 


1.15 


.027 


37.0 


.289 


3.5 


.059 


16.9 


.086 


11.6 


.863 


1.16 


.028 


35.7 


.261 


3.8 


.060 


16.7 


.086 


11.6 


.813 


1.23 


.027 


37.0 


.337 


3.0 


.061 


16.4 


.088 


11.4 


.843 


1.19 


.026 


38.5 


.341 


2.9 


.063 


15.9 


.091 


11.0 


.803 


1.25 


.029 


34.5 


.259 


3.9 


.055 


18.2 


.091 


11.0 


.833 


1.20 


.030 


33.3 


.280 


3.6 


.059 


16.9 


.090 


11.1 


1.003 


1.00 


.031 


32.3 


.229 


4.4 


.066 


15.2 


.091 


11.0 


1.078 


.93 


.034 


29.4 


.405 


2.5 


.080 


12.5 


.127 


7.9 


1.715 


.58 


.070 


14.3 


.455 


2.2 


.097 


10.3 



1890 

1891 

1892 

1893 

1894 

1895 

1896 

1897 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

1906 

1907 

1908 

1909 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 (Nov.) 



54 



RETAIL PRICES. 



5.— INCREASED COST OF FOODSTUFFS IN THE UNITED 

STATES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE 

EUROPEAN WAR. 

In its Monthly Review for July, 1917, page 93, the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics published a table showing the increased price of the principal 
foodstuffs entering into a workingman's budget on July 15, 1913, the 
year immediately preceding the outbreak of hostilities in Europe, to 
July 15, 1917. The average price of the year 1916 was taken as equalling 
100, and relative increased prices worked out on this basis. The com- 
parative data thus secured together with the comment of the Bureau 
was as follows: 

** Comparing prices on July 15, 1914, just prior to the present war 
with prices on July 15, 1917, food as a whole advanced 42 per cent. 
In July, 1917, flour was 125 per cent higher — that is, two and one- 
fourth times the price in July, 1914. Corn meal was 89 per cent higher, 
lard was 78 per cent higher, sugar 75 per cent higher, and potatoes and 
bread each 59 per cent higher." 

"A table showing the average and relative prices in July of each 
year from 1913 to 1917 is given herewith": 

AVERAGE MONEY RETAIL PRICES AND RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD ON 
JULY 15 OF EACH YEAR, 1913-1917. 



Article. 


Unit. 


Average money price July 15. 


Relative price July 15. 
[Average 1916=100] 


1913 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


1913 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


Sirloin steak 

Round steak 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


$0,265 
.233 
.201 


$0,270 
.245 
.208 
.175 
.127 
.222 
.273 
.279 
.154 
.219 


$0,265 
.240 
.206 

. .167 
.123 
.211 
.270 
.265 
.145 
.208 
.198 
.278 
.343 
.232 
.087 
.063 
1.003 
.033 
.091 
.223 
.035 
.076 
.135 
.125 
.070 
.299 
.546 


$0,287 
.260 
.220 
.179 
.132 
.234 
.290 
.323 
.208 
.241 
.200 
.319 
.355 
.243 
.088 
.062 
.927 
.033 
.091 
.352 
.053 
.117 
.134 
.128 
.087 
.299 
.546 


$0,327 
.306 
.257 
.219 
.165 
.316 
.429 
.396 
.274 
.280 
.266 
.420 
.459 
.330 
.111 
.088 
1.766 
.059 
.106 
.645 
.051 
.195 
.160 
.148 
.091 
.306 
.599 


97 
95 
95 

■■95' 
97 
96 
91 
92 


99 
100 
98 
102 
99 
98 
95 
95 
88 
93 


97 
98 
97 
97 
96 
93 
94 
90 
83 
88 
98 
74 
87 
90 
96 
97 
93 
96 
100 
55 
72 
69 
101 
97 
87 
100 
100 


105 

106 

104 

104 

103 

103 

101 

110 

119 

102 

99 

85 

90 

94 

97 

95 

86 

96 

100 

87 

109 

106 

100 

99 

109 

100 

100 


120 
125 
121 
127 
129 
139 
149 
135 
157 
119 
132 
112 
117 
128 
122 
135 
164 
174 
116 
159 
104 
177 
119 
115 
114 
102 
110 


Chuck roast 

Plate beef 


Lb 




Pork chops 

Bacon 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.216 
.278 
.282 
.159 
.217 


Ham 


Lard 


Hens 


Salmon, canned .... 
Eggs, strictly fresh. 
Butter 


Doz 

Lb 

Lb 


.300 
.347 


.300 
.343 


80 
88 


80 
87 


Chee-se 


Milk . . . 


Qt 

16-oz..loafi 
i bbl. bag. 

Ih'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 


.088 

" ; 809 
.030 


.088 
.055 
.787 
.031 


97 

■■75' 
87 


97 
85 
73 
92 


Bread 


Flour 




Rice 

Potatoes 

Onions 

Beans, navy 

Prunes 

Raisins 


Peck 

Lb 


.288 


.405 


71 


100 


Lb 










Lb 










Lb 












Lb 

Lb 


.054 


.052 


68 


65 


Coffee 


Tea 


Lb 










All articles combined 




















88 


90 


88 


97 


128 















116 ounces, weight of dough. 



RETAIL PRICES. 



55 



6.— COMPARATIVE RETAIL PRICES IN LEADING CITIES 
OF THE UNITED STATES, 1913-1917. 

The following table affords a basis for the comparison of the average 
retail prices of 28 principal foodstuffs in 15 of the leading cities of the 
United States for the period 1913-1917, and in 30 other cities on 
October 15, 1917. It was prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
and published in its Monthly Review for November, 1917. 

AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD FOR 15 SELECTED 
CITIES FOR OCT. 15, 1913, 1916, AND 1917, AND SEPT. 15, 1917. 

[The average prices shown below are computed from reports sent monthly to the bureau by retail dealers 
As some dealers occasionally fail to report, the number of quotations varies from month to month.l 



Article. 



Sirloin steak . . . 
Round steak . . . 

Rib roast 

Chuck roast . . . 

Plate beef 

Pork chops . . . . 
Bacon, sliced . . . 
Ham, sliced. . . . 

Lard 

Lamb 

Hens 

Salmon, canned 

Eggs 

Butter 

Cheese 

Milk 

Bread 

Flour 

Corn meal 

Rice 

Potatoes 

Onions 

Beans, navy. . . 

Prunes 

Raisins 

Sugar 

Coffee 

Tea 



Unit. 



Atlanta, Ga. 



Oct. 

15, 

1913. 



Lb 


$0,242 


Lb 


.213 


Lb 


.197 


Lb 

Lb 


.154 


Lb 


.250 


Lb 


.322 


Lb 


.308 


Lb 


.154 


Lb 


.202 


Lb 


.208 


Lb 




Doz 


.341 


Lb 


.390 


Lb 




Qt 


.106 


6oz!oaf 1 




Lb 


.035 


Lb 


.027 


Lb 




Lb 


.023 


Lb. . . 




Lb 




Lb 




Lb 




Lb 


.058 


Lb 




Lb 





Oct. 

15, 

1916. 



$0,254 
.219 
.199 
.165 
.111 
.250 
.312 
.325 
.189 
.244 
.225 
.162 
.375 
.432 
.291 
.123 
.069 
.049 
.028 
.079 
.035 
.057 
.126 
.133 
.149 
.088 
.282 
.617 



1917 



Sept. 
15. 



,312 
,281 
,237 
,203 
.154 
.373 
.439 
.413 
.294 
.324 
.288 
.229 
.475 
.531 
.341 
.150 
.090 
.072 
.061 
.104 
.033 
.059 
.186 
.176 
.150 
.104 
.285 
.753 



Oct. 
15. 



$0,311 

.278 
.241 
.212 
.157 
.399 
.490 
.439 
.319 
.316 
.337 
.246 
.482 
.551 
.355 
.159 
.091 
.072 
.059 
.108 
.038 
.059 
.188 
.179 
.162 
.104 
.294 
.796 



Baltimore, Md. 



Oct. 

15. 

1913. 



$0,235 
.220 
.173 
.153 



,196 

,225 
,285 
,148 
,180 
.208 



.363 
,388 



.087 



.032 
.026 



.018 



,049 



Oct. 

15, 

1916. 



$0,252 
.240 
.202 
.168 
.138 
.224 
.255 
.350 
.198 
.240 
.257 
.165 
.404 
.426 
.270 
.088 
.062 
.053 
.029 
.098 
.030 
.044 
.129 
.128 
.120 
.078 
.235 
.550 



1917 



Sept. 
15. 



$0,334 
.319 
.259 
.225 
.171 
.395 
.454 
.445 
.299 
.326 
.315 
.254 
.491 
.528 
.350 
.117 
.079 
.075 
.063 
.110 
.028 
.052 
.180 
.164 
.145 
.092 
.279 
.638 



Oct. 
15. 



$0,326 
.315 
.259 
.220 
.169 
.371 
.457 
.477 
.326 
.333 
.321 
.254 
.519 
.538 
.360 
.117 
.082 
.070 
.064 
.112 
.030 
.055 
.187 
.165 
.146 
.092 
.277 
.634 



'16 ounces, weight of dough. 



56 



RETAIL PRICES. 



AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD FOR 15 SELECTED 
CITIES FOR OCT. 15. 1913. 1916. AND 1917. AND SEPT. 15, 1917— Continued. 



Article. 


Unit. 




Boston 


Mass. 






Buffalo 


. N. Y. 




Oct. 

15. 

1913. 


Oct. 

15, 

1916. 


1917 


Oct. 

15. 

1913. 


Oct. 

15. 

1916. 


1917 


Sep.. 


Oct. 
15. 


Sept. 
15. 


Oct. 
15. 


Sirloin steak , . . . 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


$0,350 
.350 
.256 
.180 


$0,427 
.372 
.268 
.208 


$0,464 
.467 
.327 
.273 


$0,442 
.449 
.315 
.269 


$0,223 
.193 
.165 
.150 


$0,252 
.227 
.187 
.167 
.128 
.255 
.255 
.323 
.182 
.195 
.245 
.176 
.490 
.401 
.256 
.080 
.064 
.049 
.030 
.093 
.029 
.046 
.119 
.135 
.107 
.093 
.286 
.436 


$0,318 
.298 
.251 
.218 
.173 
.415 
.433 
.425 
.286 
.283 
.314 
.263 
.536 
.493 
.325 
.110 
.086 
.069 
.062 
.106 
.029 
.056 
.185 
.150 
.130 
.095 
.286 
.496 


$0,315 
.293 
.247 
.220 
.172 
.388 
.461 
.432 
.306 
.289 
.309 
.275 
.551 
.510 
.333 
.130 
.089 
.065 
.070 
.108 
.031 
.056 
.182 
.156 
.137 
.100 
.293 
.534 






Plate beef 


Pork chops 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.244 
.254 
.313 
.157 
.205 
.256 


.258 
.270 
.345 
.190 
.259 
.282 
.197 
.573 
.406 
.265 
.096 
.064 
.055 
.042 
.097 
.029 
.054 
.115 
.147 
.127 
,079 
.346 
.600 


.405 
.439 
.447 
.295 
.346 
.329 
.294 
.652 
.512 
.324 
.130 
.085 
.078 
.075 
.112 
.027 
.057 
.184 
.167 
.150 
.097 
.340 
.652 


.409 
.458 
.456 
.309 
.345 
.344 
.294 
.660 
.524 
.328 
.130 
.081 
.075 
.075 
.115 
.034 
.056 
.184 
.168 
.150 
.098 
.341 
.646 


.210 

■■■.267' 
.144 
.153 
.210 

"!366" 
.371 

"'.bso' 

■■;63o' 

.025 

'".6i7' 

"!054' 


Bacon sliced . . . 




Lard 




Hens . . . 


Salmon, canned 

Epffs . . . 


Doz 

Lb 

Lb 


.533 
.380 


Butter 


Cheese 


Milk 


Qt 

16ozloaf 1 

Lb 

Lb 

.Lb 


.089 

".036 
.035 


Bread .... 


Flour 




Rice 


Potatoes 


Lb 

Lb 


.017 




Beans navy 


Lb 






Lb 




Raisins 


Lb 




Sugar 


Lb 

Lb 


.054 


Coffee 


Tea 


Lb 











^16 ounces, weight of dough. 







Chicago. 111. 


Cleveland, Ohio. 




Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


$0,248 
.216 
.201 
.158 


$0,274 
.235 
.223 
.171 
.128 
.233 
.329 
.359 
.184 
.223 
.223 
.230 
.383 
.394 
.277 
.090 
.065 
.049 
.036 
.094 
.027 
.047 
.125 
.129 
.132 
.074 
.300 
.540 


$0,315 
.281 
.258 
.220 
.165 
.374 
.476 
.439 
.283 
.320 
.294 
.283 
.465 
.484 
.344 
.100 
.093 
.069 
.065 
.103 
.027 
.039 
.183 
.159 
.147 
.091 
.284 
.564 


$0,306 
.273 
.247 
.213 
.165 
.358 
.475 
.439 
.299 
.314 
.271 
.300 
.469 
.487 
.368 
.129 
.093 
.066 
.071 
.103 
.028 
.048 
.186 
.161 
.145 
.088 
.285 
.573 


$0,254 
.229 
.187 
.169 
. . . 
.230 
.281 


$0,255 
.232 
.198 
.177 
.122 
.250 
.307 


$0,312 
.291 
.238 
.214 
.158 
.415 
.452 
.421 
.302 
.308 
.327 
.262 
.542 
.516 
.332 
.120 
.090 
.073 
.069 
.106 
.029 
.049 
.186 
.165 
.143 
.098 
.294 
.565 


$0,307 
.288 
.232 
.211 
.158 
.387 
.468 
.436 
.318 
.306 
.317 
.270 
.570 
.530 
.350 
.120 
.089 
.071 
.073 
.111 
.032 
.050 
.191 
.165 
.143 
.097 
.291 
.566 


Round steak 


Rib roast 


Chuck roast 


Plate beef 


Pork chops 


Lb..... 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb . ... 


.210 
.327 
.320 
.150 
.198 
.184 




Ham, sliced 


Lard 


.164 
.187 
.209 

"!427' 
.392 

"ioso" 
■■;63i' 

.030 

"!6i9' 

■;6s5' 


.i98 
.222 
.240 
.180 
.507 
.437 
.283 
.090 
.066 
.052 
.037 
.094 
.033 
.049 
.131 
.136 
.124 
.083 
.288 
.475 


Lamb 


Hens 


Salmon, canned 


Doz. . . . 

Lb 

Lb 


.333 
.354 


Butter 


Cheese 


Milk 


Qt 

16ozloaf 1 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.080 

'.'629' 
.028 


Bread 


Flour 




Rice 




Lb 

Lb 


.017 


Onions 




Lb 




Prunes 


Lb 




Raisins 


Lb 




Sugar 


Lb 

Lb 


.052 


Coffee 


Tea 


Lb 







'16 ounces, weight of dough. 



RETAIL PRICES. 



57 



AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD FOR 15 SELECTED 
CITIES FOR OCT. 15. 1913, 1916, AND 1917, AND SEPT. 15. 1917— Continued. 



Article. 


Unit. 




Denver 


. Colo. 






Detroit, 


Mi<sh. 




Oct. 

15. 

1913. 


Oct. 

15. 

1916. 


1917 


Oct. 

15. 

1913. 


Oct. 

15. 

1916. 


1917 


Sept. 
15. 


Oct. 
15. 


Sept. 
15. 


Oct. 
15. 


Sirloin steak 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


$0,239 
.214 
.178 
.158 


$0,248 
.219 
.189 
.169 
.105 
.229 
.325 
.338 
.200 
.194 
.212 
.185 
.438 
.395 
.263 
.083 
.076 
.041 
.028 
.093 
.026 
.034 
.113 
.135 
.141 
.083 
.300 
.510 


$0,317 
.283 
.239 
.206 
.140 
.399 
.480 
.464 
.310 
.302 
.285 
.275 
.493 
.494 
.352 
.115 
.091 
.058 
.059 
.113 
.025 
.039 
.091 
.183 
.145 
.095 
.304 
.572 


$0,307 
.285 
.232 
.207 
.144 
.402 
.520 
.463 
.329 
.303 
.284 
.264 
.503 
.495 
.352 
.116 
.089 
.057 
.061 
.111 
.023 
.039 
.185 
.179 
.144 
.089 
.300 
.573 


$0,254 
.208 
.200 
.154 

.235 
.270 
.165 
.164 
.198 

■■;356' 

.370 
""!696' 

'".on 

.028 

"!6i6' 

"'.054.' 


$0,260 
.222 
.208 
.162 
.126 
.242 
.257 
.230 
.188 
.210 
.242 
.195 
.448 
.407 
.266 
.100 
.065 
.049 
.033 
.089 
.030 
.046 
.128 
.126 
.110 
.081 
.284 
.430 


$0,313 
.283 
.252 
.205 
.161 
.403 
.448 
.425 
.303 
.316 
.331 
.289 
.511 
.497 
.329 
.120 
.080 
.071 
.072 
.113 
.028 
.048 
.190 
.170 
.140 
.099 
.310 
.559 


$0,305 
.275 
.242 
.197 
.158 
.369 
.457 
.436 
.314 
.313 
.314 
.288 
.532 
.502 
.344 
.120 
.084 
.068 
.075 
.116 
.029 
.049 
.194 
.170 
.140 
.104 
.307 
.545 




Rib roast 




Plate beef 


Pork chops . . . 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.208 
.280 
.317 
.161 
.146 
.194 


Bacon, sliced 

Ham, sliced 

Lard 

Lamb 

Hens 

Salmon, canned 

Eggs 

Butter 

Cheese ... 


Doz. . . . 

Lb 

Lb 


.371 
.390 


Milk 

Bread 

Flour 

Corn meal 


Qt 

16ozloafi 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.084 

"!026" 
.026 


Rice 

Potatoes 

Onions 

Beans, navy 

Prunes 

Raisins 

Sugar 

Coffee 

Tea 


Lb 

Lb 


.014 


Lb . . . . 




Lb 




Lb 




Lb 

Lb 


.054 


Lb 











16 ounces, weight of dough. 







Milwaukee, Wis. 


New York. N. Y. 




Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


$0,236 
.216 
.188 
.164 


$0,243 
.218 
.194 
.166 
.124 
.230 
.299 
.299 
.198 
.231 
.216 
.213 
.389 
.405 
.285 
.070 
.075 
.052 
.038 
.097 
.029 
.043 
.129 
.142 
.132 
.078 
.283 
.523 


$0,300 
.281 
.240 
.219 
.161 
.383 
.452 
.418 
.294 
.321 
.297 
.266 
.454 
.485 
.331 
.090 
.093 
.073 
.080 
.113 
.029 
.046 
.188 
.159 
.150 
.094 
.273 
.599 


$0,293 
.280 
.238 
.217 
.160 
.370 
.472 
.436 
.315 
.316 
.272 
.277 
.482 
.499 
.369 
.110 
.089 
.069 
.078 
.114 
.027 
.047 
.193 
.165 
.148 
.091 
.263 
.584 


$0,261 
.255 
.216 
.160 

'■;229" 
.257 
2.205 
.163 
.152 
.218 

"!479' 
.375 

■■.■696' 

■;o32 

.035 
"!624' 

■■;649' 


$0,283 
.277 
.231 
.176 
.163 
.260 
.275 
2.228 
.196 
.200 
.259 
.238 
.517 
.408 
.255 
.098 
.068 
.053 
.044 
.093 
.034 
.054 
.119 
.139 
.125 
.074 
.269 
.460 


$0,368 
.368 
.298 
.235 
.211 
.394 
.440 
2.300 
.294 
.295 
.316 
.332 
.592 
.507 
.338 
.124 
.088 
.079 
.076 
.107 
.033 
.050 
.185 
.164 
.145 
.092 
.256 
.536 


$0,356 
.360 
.298 
.236 
.213 
.399 
.464 
2.314 
.313 
.284 
.323 
.334 
.627 
.515 
.340 
.138 
.088 
.078 
.082 
.115 
.038 
.059 
.185 
.167 
.146 
.097 
.265 
.521 


Round steak 


Rib roast 


Chuck roast 


Plate beef 


Pork chops 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.212 
.286 
.290 
.158 
.195 
.188 


Bacon, sliced 




Lard 




Hens 


Salmon, canned 

Eggs 


Doz 

Lb 

Lb 


.350 
.350 


Butter 


Cheese 


Milk . 


Qt 

16ozloafi 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.070 

■■;63o' 

.037 


Bread 


Flour 




Rice 


Potatoes 


Lb 

Lb 


.016 


Onions 




Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


"'.ohh' 




Raisins 




Coffee 


Tea 


Lb 











16 ounces, weight of dough. 



2 Whole. 



58 



RETAIL PRICES. 



AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD FOR 15 SELECTED 
CITIES FOR OCT. 15, 1913. 1916, AND 1917. AND SEPT. 15, 1917— Continued. 



Article. 


Unit. 




Philadelphia, Pa. 






Pittsburgh. Pa. 




Oct. 

15, 

1913. 


Oct. 

15, 

1916. 


1917 


Oct. 

15, 

1913. 


Oct. 

15. 

1916. 


1917 


Sept. 
15. 


Oct. 
15. 


Sept. 
15. 


Oct. 
15. 




Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


$0,312 
.264 
.221 
.182 


$0,326 
.288 
.235 
.193 
.126 
.268 
.299 
.359 
.198 
.231 
.271 
.179 
.470 
.462 
.273 
.085 
.054 
.052 
.033 
.097 
.030 
.050 
.112 
.137 
.121 
.075 
.283 
.530 


$0,402 
.374 
.295 
.258 
.171 
.403 
.447 
.470 
.303 
.335 
.327 
.251 
.531 
.559 
.355 
.110 
.079 
.076 
.066 
.112 
.035 
.054 
.182 
.157 
.138 
.091 
.277 
.583 


$0,392 
.365 
.291 
.252 
.174 
.400 
.467 
.479 
.328 
.331 
.344 
.260 
.548 
.562 
.361 
.110 
.079 
.075 
.071 
.118 
.038 
.056 
.185 
.164 
.139 
.094 
.283 
.583 


$0,277 
.237 
.217 
.178 

"!232' 
.306 
.299 
.157 
.200 
.255 

".3S0' 
.395 

';088' 

■■■.032' 
.030 

■;6i9' 

' ";057^ 


$0,284 
.250 
.230 
.179 
.120 
.253 
.321 
.351 
.201 
.246 
.287 
.211 
.420 
.424 
.279 
.098 
.065 
.053 
.036 
.095 
.030 
.054 
.132 
.134 
.134 
.084 
.271 
.575 


$0,365 
.337 
.279 
.242 
.170 
.403 
.462 
.453 
.308 
.353 
.371 
.297 
.509 
.517 
.338 
.125 
.092 
.075 
.079 
.106 
.030 
.050 
.184 
.162 
.147 
.099 
.303 
.693 


$0,356 
.329 
.274 
.241 
.171 
.406 
.483 
.465 
.328 
.363 
.378 
.301 
.528 
.527 
.357 
.125 
.092 
.072 
.081 
.110 
.032 
.052 
.188 
.165 
.148 
.101 
.299 
.702 


Round steak . . 




Chuck roast . ... 


Plate beef 


Pork chops . . . .... 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.233 
.275 
.319 
.156 
.191 
.231 




Ham, sliced 


Lard 


Lamb 


Hens 


Salmon, canned 

Eggs 


Doz 

Lb 

Lb 


.425 
.431 


Butter 


Cheese 


Milk 


Qt 

16ozloaf 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.080 

' ';032" 
.028 


Bread 




Corn meal 


Rice 


Potatoes 


Lb 

Lb 


.023 




Beans, navy 


Lb 






Lb 




Raisins 


Lb 






Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.050 


Coffee 


Tea 









'16 ounces, weight of dough. 









St. Lou 


is, Mo. 






Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


$0,260 
.243 
.195 
.156 


$0,258 
.247 
.203 
.165 
.128 
.222 
.278 
.288 
.183 
.218 
.203 
.168 
.365 
.420 
.256 
.080 
.067 
.048 
.033 
.086 
.029 
.045 
.121 
.130 
.139 
.079 
.242 
.543 


$0,308 
.307 
.253 
.214 
.163 
.382 
.463 
.439 
.291 
.296 
.271 
.277 
.459 
.509 
.340 
.110 
.094 
.066 
.065 
.100 
.028 
.043 
.191 
.169 
.170 
.093 
.280 
.617 


$0 . 308 


Round steak 


.301 




.256 


Chuck roast 


.206 


Plate beef 


.166 


Pork chops 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.197 
.269 
.273 
.131 
.183 
.168 


.374 




.486 


Ham, sliced 


.456 


Lard 


.293 


Lamb . . . 


.308 


Hens 


.275 


Salmon, canned 


.284 


Doz 

Lb 

Lb 


.310 
.379 


.460 


Butter. . 


.526 


Cheese 


.369 


Milk 


Qt 

16ozloafi 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.088 

"029 
.025 


.132 


Bread 


.093 


Flour 


063 




.066 


Rice 


.106 


Potatoes 


Lb 

Lb ... 


.019 


.029 


Onions 


.047 




Lb 




.192 


Prunes 


Lb 




.173 




Lb. ... 




.167 


Sugar 


Lb 

Lb 


.053 


.089 


Coffee 


.283 


Tea 


Lb 




.628 











San Francisco, Cal. 




$0,214 


$0,203 


$0,230 


$0,236 


.197 


.193 


.225 


.231 


.213 


.207 


.226 


.232 


.152 


.133 


.159 


.162 




.129 


.154 


.157 


.242 


.237 


.335 


.363 


.344 


.350 


.470 


.519 


.340 


.333 


.456 


.475 


.180 


.191 


.290 


.302 


.167 


.201 


.274 


.306 


.245 


.273 


.291 


.315 




.179 


.245 


.249 


.564 


.558 


.538 


,608 


.400 


.404 


.530 


.545 




.238 


.316 


.316 


.100 


.100 


.121 


.121 




.058 


.083 


.083 


.034 


.045 


.068 


.064 


.035 


.038 


.071 


.074 




.085 


.102 


.105 


.018 


.025 


.032 


.031 




.036 


.026 


.032 




.121 


.180 


.177 




.124 


.146 


.152 




.110 


.143 


.143 


.054 


.075 


.089 


.082 




.317 


.304 


.303 




.517 


.540 


.534 



46 ounces, weight of dough. 



RETAIL PRICES. 



59 



AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD FOR 15 SELECTED 
CITIES FOR OCT. 15, 1913. 1916, AND 1917, AND SEPT. 15. 1917— Concluded. 



Article. 


Unit. 




Seattle, 


Wash. 




Oct. 

15. 

1913. 


Oct. 

15, 

1916. 


1917 


Sept. 
15. 


Oct. 
15. 


Sirloin steak 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


$0,243 
.207 
.193 
.160 


s$0.224 
.200 
.186 
.133 
.109 
.236 
.320 
.310 
.184 
.210 
.210 
.188 
.531 
.428 
.244 
.098 


$0,264 
.250 
.218 
.178 
.150 
.401 
.494 
.410 
.285 
.269 
.262 
.269 
.528 
.530 
.308 
.120 
.092 
.065 
.075 
.104 
.024 
.031 
.191 
.147 
.145 
.095 
.313 
.533 


$0,267 
.251 
.225 
.181 
.153 
.400 
.490 
.431 
.301 
.287 
.271 
.277 
.652 
.546 
.312 
.120 
.092 
.060 
.075 
.109 
.023 
.040 
.190 
.146 
.145 
.089 
.316 
.542 


Round steak 




Chuck roast .... 


Plate beef 


Pork chops 


Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.243 
.325 
.300 
.171 
.177 
.243 






Lard 




Hens 


Salmon, canned 

Eggs 


Doz 

Lb 

Lb 


.500 
.400 


Butter 


Cheese 


Milk 


Qt 

16ozloaf 1 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.097 


Bread 


Flour 


.029 
.033 


.041 
.038 
.084 
.018 
.038 
.113 
.131 
.131 
.085 
.326 
.500 




Rice 




Lb 

Lb 


.014 




Beans, navy 

Prunes 

Raisins 


Lb 

Lb 




Lb 






Lb 

Lb 


.064 


Coffee 


Tea 


Lb.. .. 





U6 ounces, weight of dough. 



AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD FOR 30 CITIES 

FOR OCT. 15, 1917. 

[The average prices shown below are computed from reports sent monthly to the bureau by retail dealers. 
As some dealers occasionally fail to report, the number of quotations varies from month to month.] 



Article. 



Unit. 



Bir- 
ming- 
ham, 
Ala. 



Bridge- 
port, 
Conn. 



Butte, 

Monc. 



Charles- 
ton, 
S. C. 



Cin- 


Co- 




cm- 


lum- 


Dallas, 


nati. 


bus, 


Tex. 


Ohio. 


Ohio. 




$0,274 


$0,329 


$0,311 


.261 


.303 


.300 


.229 


.258 


.261 


.189 


.226 


.230 


.153 


.176 


.185 


.371 


.386 


.386 


.467 


.472 


.535 


.425 


.447 


.483 


.306 


.325 


.298 


.284 


.300 


.358 


.325 


.301 


.272 


.259 


.281 


.277 


.464 


.475 


.480 


.515 


.499 


.500 


.363 


.338 


.383 


.120 


.110 


.148 


.081 


.087 


.088 


.124 


.071 


.068 


.066 


.069 


.069 


.117 


.111 


.111 


.031 


.030 


.037 


.046 


.0.54 


.048 


.190 


.191 


.178 


.162 


.168 


.183 


.144 


.149 


.150 


.096 


.104 


.101 


.274 


.290 


.336 


.683 


.704 


.823 



Sirloin steak . . . . 
Round steak. . . . 

Rib Roast 

Chuck roast . . . . 

Plate beef 

Pork chops 

Bacon, sliced. . . 

Ham, sliced 

Lard 

Lamb 

Hens 

Salmon, canned , 

Eggs 

Butter 

Cheese 

Milk 

Bread 

Flour 

Corn meal 

Rice 

Potatoes 

Onions 

Beans, navy. . . 

Prunes 

Raisins 

Sugar 

Coffee 

Tea 



Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Doz... 
Lb.... 
Lb.... 
Qt.... 
16ozloaf 
Lb. . . . 
Lb. . . . 
Lb.... 
Lb. . . . 
Lb.... 
Lb.... 
Lb. . . . 
Lb.... 
Lb. . . . 
Lb. . . . 
Lb.... 



$0,355 
.314 
.266 
.212 
.170 
.389 
.509 
.450 
.308 
.433 
.286 
.278 
.494 
.560 
.356 
.152 
.094 
.072 
.054 
.122 
.037 
.058 
.197 
.160 
.160 
.102 
.328 
.740 



$0,428 
.395 
.333 
.272 
.172 
.391 
.509 
.503 
.301 
.315 
.355 
.350 
.706 
.504 
.341 
.140 
.093 
.075 
.085 
.119 
.034 
.060 
.185 
.165 
.157 
.101 
.319 
.623 



$0,300 
.272 
.243 
.200 
.135 
.403 
.560 
.480 
.311 
.326 
.333 
.355 
.693 
.559 
.350 
.1.50 
.104 
.078 
.073 
.132 
.020 
.046 
.195 
.173 
.153 
.107 
.416 
.755 



$0,277 
.258 
.247 
.191 
.150 
.392 
.471 
.441 
.308 
.339 
.343 
.266 
.507 
.534 
.345 
.160 
.091 
.078 
.069 
.094 
.036 
.051 
.161 
.168 
.149 
.096 
.288 
.664 



'16 ounces, weight of dough. 



60 



RETAIL PRICES. 



AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD FOR 30 CITIES 
FOR OCT. 15, 1917— Continued 









Indi- 


Jack- 






Los- 








Fall 


anap- 


son- 


Kansas 


Little 


An- 


Louis- 


Article. 


Unit. 


River. 


olis, 


ville, 


City, 


Rock, 


geles, 


ville, 






Mass. 


Ind. 


Fla. 


Mo. 


Ark. 


Cal. 


Ky. 


Sirloin steak 


Lb 


$0,427 


$0,329 


$0,323 


$0,317 


$0,306 


$0,277 


$0,285 




Lb 

Lb 

Lb 

Lb 


.367 
.293 
.251 


.325 
.236 
.218 
.165 
.404 
.488 


.293 
.253 
.199 
.154 
.397 
.484 


.292 
.235 
.198 
.165 

.382 
.477 


.278 
.255 
.197 
.168 
.381 
.513 


.247 
.229 
.186 
.152 
.372 
.546 


.271 
.232 
.203 
.175 
.365 
.523 


Rib roast 




Plate beef 




Lb 

Lb 


.386 
.434 


Bacon, sliced 


Ham, sliced 


Lb 


.436 


.446 


.420 


.433 


.463 


.513 


.438 


Lard 


Lb 


.294 


.318 


.301 


.323 


.335 


.301 


.320 


Lamb 


Lb 


.342 


.250 


.300 


.270 


.308 


.288 


.310 


Hens 


Lb 


.327 


.278 


.316 


.265 


.297 


.319 


.297 


Salmon, canned 


Lb 


.282 


.238 


.278 


.296 


.298 


.268 


.253 


Eggs 


Doz 


.692 


.461 


.545 


.449 


.485 


.610 


.473 


Butter 


Lb 


.499 


.517 


.531 


.502 


.544 


.535 


.539 


Cheese 


Lb 


.324 


.387 


.349 


.350 


.375 


.339 


.382 


Milk 


Qt 

16ozloafi 


.130 
.085 


.100 
.085 


.137 
.093 


.122 
.096 


.167 
.089 


.120 
.082 


.120 
.100 


Bread 


Flour 


Lb 


.077 


.073 


.076 


.066 


.073 


.065 


.071 


Corn meal 


Lb 

Lb 


.074 
.117 


.059 
.121 


.066 
.106 


.062 
.105 


.065 
.103 


.078 
.104 


.059 
.112 


Rice 


Potatoes 


Lb 


.031 


.031 


.040 


.031 


.035 


.032 


.048 


Onions 


Lb 


.053 


.052 


.054 


.046 


.054 


.033 


.042 


Beans, navy 


Lb 


.173 


.203 


.197 


.195 


.199 


.179 


.196 


Prunes 


Lb 


.165 


.178 


.181 


.159 


.178 


.158 


.161 


Raisins 


Lb 


.145 


.168 


.178 


.152 


.151 


.152 


.167 


Sugar 


Lb 


.100 


.102 


.100 


.095 


.095 


.084 


.102 


Coffee 


Lb 


.323 


.295 


.326 


.288 


.330 


.318 


.279 


Tea 


Lb 


.487 


.743 


.735 


.608 


.803 


.590 


.733 



^16 ounces, weight of dough. 







Man- 








New 


New 










ches- 


Mem- 


Minne- 


New- 


Ha- 


Or- 


Oma- 


Port- 


Article. 


Unit. 


ter, 


phis, 


apolis, 


ark, 


ven, 


leans, 


ha, 


land, 






N. H. 


Tenn. 


Minn. 


N.J. 


Conn. 


La. 


Nebr. 


Oreg. 


Sirloin steak . . 


Lb..... 


$0,448 


$0,307 


$0,256 


$0,378 


$0,437 


$0,271 


$0,319 


$0,255 


Round steak . . 


Lb 


.409 


.280 


.245 


.382 


.399 


.246 


.295 


.246 


Rib roast 


Lb 


.277 


.246 


.209 


.297 


.323 


.233 


.232 


.236 


Chuck roast . . 


Lb 


.248 


.210 


.181 


.254 


.287 


.183 


.203 


.183 


Plate beef.... 
Pork chops . . . 


Lb 




.173 
.389 


.136 
.356 


.188 
.410 


""^ioi" 


.155 
.401 


.154 
.378 


.147 
.373 


Lb 


.393 


Bacon, sliced. . 


Lb 


.455 


.495 


.486 


.455 


.498 


.503 


.465 


.510 


Ham, sliced.. . 


Lb 


.419 


.432 


.436 


^.333 


.505 


.425 


.438 


.445 


Lard 


Lb 


.317 


.301 


.304 


.317 


.313 


.301 


.318 


.310 


Lamb 


Lb 


.330 


.353 


.248 


.345 


.345 


.314 


.332 


.275 


Hens 


Lb 


.348 


.301 


.247 


.348 


.363 


.327 


.265 


.248 


Salmon.canned 


Lb 


.294 


.277 


.316 


.329 


.322 


.304 


.282 


.325 


Eggs 


Doz 


.640 


.448 


.441 


.674 


.733 


.469 


.453 


.600 


Butter 


Lb 


.552 


.508 


.475 


.538 


.516 


.519 


.496 


.543 


Cheese 


Lb 


.332 


.351 


.332 


.361 


.336 


.350 


.363 


.341 


Milk 


Qt 

16ozloaf 1 


.123 
.082 


.146 
.096 


.120 
.092 


.140 
.082 


.128 
.089 


.130 
.077 


.120 
.096 


.112 
.086 


Bread 


Flour 


Lb 


.076 


.070 


.061 


.075 


.076 


.079 


.062 


.059 


Corn meal. . . . 


Lb 


.077 


.060 


.063 


.084 


.075 


.072 


.065 


.073 


Rice 


Lb 


.104 


.102 


.103 


.111 


.114 


.100 


.107 


.108 


Potatoes 


Lb 


.032 


.031 


.025 


.037 


.034 


.041 


.026 


.024 


Onions 


Lb 


.052 


.046 


.038 


.059 


.053 


.045 


.045 


.042 


Beans, navy. . 


Lb. ... 


.187 


.194 


.188 


.183 


.184 


.176 


.198 


.180 


Prunes 


Lb 


.155 


.166 


.159 


.165 


.170 


.177 


.166 


.138 


Raisins 


Lb 


.150 


.153 


.145 


.146 


.148 


.160 


.163 


.140 


Sugar 


Lb 


.102 


.099 


.091 


.096 


.100 


.099 


.092 


.089 


Coffee 


Lb 


.335 


.305 


.313 


.304 


.337 


.269 


.314 


.320 


Tea 


Lb 


.585 


.709 


.489 


.564 


.535 


.625 


.604 


.540 



U6 ounces, weight of dough. 



2Whole. 



RETAIL PRICES. 



61 



AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD FOR 30 CITIES 
FOR OCT. 15, 1917— Concluded. 



Article. 



Sirloin steak . 
Round steak. 

Rib roast 

Chuck roast. 
Plate beef . . . 
Pork chops . . 
Bacon, sliced. 
Ham, sliced. . 

Lard 

Lamb 

Hens 

Salmon, canned 

Eggs 

Butter 

Cheese 

Milk 

Bread 

Flour 

Corn meal . . . 

Rice 

Potatoes .... 

Onions 

Beans, navy. 

Prunes 

Raisins 

Sugar 

Coffee 

Tea 













Salt 






Wash- 




Provi- 


Rich- 


Roch- 


St. 


Lake 


Scran- 


Spring- 


ing- 


Unit 


dence, 


mond, 


ester, 


Paul, 


City, 


ton, 


field. 


ton, 




R. I. 


Va. 


N. Y. 


Minn. 


Utah. 


Pa. 


III. 


D. C. 


Lb.... 


$0,524 


$0,325 


$0,314 


$0,293 


$0,275 


$0,341 


$0,344 


$0,350 


Lb.... 


.435 


.305 


.298 


.258 


.259 


.305 


.328 


.337 


Lb. . . . 


.333 


.260 


.257 


.234 


.234 


.275 


.240 


.278 


Lb.... 


.301 


.227 


.238 


.199 


.199 


.232 


.226 


.243 


Lb. 




.187 
.378 


.182 
.398 


.142 
.370 


.159 
.414 


.166 
.386 


.183 
.394 


.191 
.415 


Lb.... 


.425 


Lb. . . . 


.467 


.480 


.456 


.473 


.483 


.464 


.504 


.497 


Lb. . . . 


.506 


2.351 


.428 


.439 


.423 


.429 


.441 


.438 


Lb. . . . 


.313 


.322 


.323 


.300 


.336 


.303 


.321 


.318 


Lb... . 


.357 


.320 


.306 


.247 


.290 


.344 


.369 


.360 


Lb.... 


.363 


.308 


.342 


.255 


.321 


.344 


.240 


.325 


Lb.... 


.289 


.226 


.294 


.276 


.283 


.281 


.262 


.236 


Doz.. . 


.663 


.496 


.638 


.436 


.573 


.592 


.497 


.546 


Lb.... 


.541 


.559 


.515 


.477 


.550 


.507 


.525 


.534 


Lb... . 


.337 


.357 


.346 


.337 


.341 


.331 


.381 


.351 


Qt.... 


.130 


.133 


.127 


.120 


.111 


.123 


.118 


.140 


16-oz. 1 


.090 


.084 


.089 


.081 


.090 


.093 


.099 


.090 


Lb.... 


.073 


.073 


.072 


.062 


.055 


.076 


.071 


.075 


Lb.... 


.073 


.062 


.076 


.066 


.075 




.071 


.062 


Lb.... 


.115 


.114 


.113 


.106 


.104 


.109 


.121 


.115 


Lb.... 


.035 


.036 


.029 


.024 


.020 


.032 


.031 


.031 


Lb.... 


.052 


.059 


.049 


.038 


.034 


.053 


.048 


.054 


Lb. . . . 


.184 


.199 


.183 


.206 


.206 


.191 


.207 


.201 


Lb.... 


.173 


.147 


.187 


.153 


.162 


.165 


.172 


.178 


Lb.... 


.146 


.145 


.147 


.144 


.146 


.139 


.172 


.154 


Lb.... 


.099 


.099 


.097 


.092 


.093 


.098 


.103 


.094 


Lb.... 


.341 


.291 


.295 


.321 


.350 


.319 


.300 


.281 


Lb. . . . 


.565 


.682 


.503 


.536 


.631 


.561 


.658 


.592 



16 ounces, weight of dough. 2Whole. 



7.— RETAIL PRICES OF DRY GOODS. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has also recently begun the collection 
of data as to the prices of dry goods. The table below shows the aver- 
age retail price for 8 articles of dry goods in 45 cities in the United 
States on May 15, and October 15, 1917. 

AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF 8 ARTICLES OF DRY GOODS IN 45 CITIES, MAY 15, 1917, 
AND OCTOBER 15, 1917, BY ARTICLES. 



Article. 


Unit. 


Atlanta, Ga. 


Baltimore, 
Md. 


Birmingham, 
Ala. 


Boston, 

Mass. 


Bridgeport, 
Conn. 


May 
15, 
1917 


Oct. 
15, 
1917 


May 
15, 
1917 


Oct. 
15, 
1917 


May 
15, 
1917 


Oct. 
15, 
1917 


May 
15, 
1917 


Oct. 
15, 
1917 


May 
15, 
1917 


Oct. 
15, 
1917 


Calico 


Per yard 
Per yard 
Per yard 
Per yard 
Per yard 
Per yard 
Per sheet 
Per yard 


$0,100 
.158 
.131 
.146 
.146 
.423 
1.068 
.142 


$0,108 
.243 
.185 
.196 
.203 
.529 
1.362 
.186 


$0,098 
.190 
.122 
.160 
.152 
.430 
1.058 
.157 


$0,130 
.230 
.190 
.240 
.214 
.550 
1.342 
.223 


$0,094 
.190 
.138 
.162 
.146 
.385 
.960 
.158 


$0,121 
.258 
.150 
.228 
.187 
.450 
1.170 
.170 


$0,100 
.177 
.125 
.166 
.157 
.465 
1.242 
.160 


$0,118 
.190 
.190 
.210 
.223 
.518 
1.358 
.193 


$0,107 
.170 
.123 
.163 
.158 
.443 
1.140 
.125 


$0,117 
.190 
.143 
.215 
.186 
.605 
1.370 
.170 


Percale 


Gingham, apron. 
Gingham, dress. . 
Muslin, bleached 
Sheeting.bleached 
Sheets, bleached. 
Outing flannel . . . 



62 



RETAIL PRICES. 



AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF 8 ARTICLES OF DRY GOODS IN 45 CITIES, MAY 15, 1917 
AND OCTOBER 15, 1917, BY ARTICLES. 







Buffalo, 


Butte. 


Charleston, 


Chicago, 111. 


Cincinnati, 


Article. 


Unit. 


N. Y. 


Mont. 


S. C. 


Ohio. 


























May 


Oct. 


May 


Oct. 


May 


Oct. 


May 


Oct. 


May 


Oct. 






15, 


15, 


15, 


15. 


15, 


15, 


15, 


15, 


15, 


15, 






1917 


1917 


1917 


1917 


1917 


1917 


1917 


1917 


1917 


1917 


Calico 


Per yard 


$0,102 


$0,134 


$0,100 


$0,108 


$0,113 


$0,144 


$0,100 


$0,125 


$0,098 


$0,120 


Percale 


Per yard 


.190 


.235 


.197 


.233 


.178 


.223 


.195 


.250 


.170 


.250 


Gingham, apron.. 


Per yard 


.130 


.168 


.100 


.125 


.116 


.156 


.125 


.140 


.125 


.175 


Gingham, dress. . 


Per yard 


.170 


.201 


.187 


.221 


.154 


.203 


.186 


.216 


.165 


.202 


Muslin, bleached. 


Per yard .164 


.230 


.158 


.188 


.142 


.215 


.151 


.213 


.137 


.179 


Sheeting, bleached 


Per yard! .470 


.588 


.479 


.533 


.411 


.561 


.439 


.607 


.398 


.508 


Sheets, bleached. 


Per sheet 1.279 


1.539 


1.483 


1.717 


1.197 


1.464 


1.218 


1.600 


1.063 


1.288 


Outing flannel . . . 


Per yard .162 


.198 


.173 


.190 


.148 


.217 


.174 


.205 


.150 


.172 







Cleveland, 


Columbus, 


Dallas 


, Tex. 


Denver, 


Detroit, 






Ohio. 


Ohio. 






Colo. 


Mich. 


Calico 


Per yard 


$0,090 


$0,108 


$0,110 


$0,118 


$0,098 


$0,125 


$0,100 


$0,122 


$0,101 


$0,143 


Percale 


Per yard 


.168 


.210 


.185 


.219 


.159 


.198 


.200 


.225 


.193 


.225 


Gingham, apron.. 


Per yard 


.117 


.142 


.125 


.150 


.119 


.158 


.117 


.175 


.130 


.160 


Gingham, dress. . 


Per yard 


.157 


.197 


.215 


.300 


.150 


.200 


.180 


.255 


.198 


.238 


Muslin, bleached 


Per yard 


.158 


.185 


.170 


.213 


.140 


.191 


.167 


.233 


.180 


.231 


Sheeting,bleached 


Per vard 


.486 


.564 


.456 


.590 


.391 


.473 


.496 


.621 


.471 


.594 


Sheets,bleached. . 


Per sheet 


1.190 


1.476 


1.214 


1.450 


.981 


1.173 


1.461 


1.732 


1.320 


1.608 


Outing flannel . . . 


Per yard 


.146 


1.80 


.164 


.194 


.150 


.210 


.188 


.206 


.159 


.198 







Fall River, 


Indianapolis, 


Jacksonville, 


Kansas City, 


Little Rock, 






Mass. 


Ind. 


Fla. 


Mo. 


Ark. 


Calico 


Per yard 


$0,090 


$0,090 


$0,102 


$0,121 


$0,125 


$0,150 


$0,100 


$0,125 


$0,100 


$0,125 


Percale 


Per yard 


.163 


.177 




183 


.200 


.200 


.250 


.178 


.235 


.185, 


.225 


Gingham, apron.. 


Per yard 


.120 


.150 




124 


.150 


.150 


.190 


.133 


.187 


.125 


.163 


Gingham, dress. . 


Per yard 


.150 


.177 




188 


.209 


.180 


.200 


.166 


.216 


.158 


.193 


Muslin, bleached. 


Per yard 


.150 


.220 




147 


.193 


.173 


.238 


.160 


.211 


.157 


.204 


Sheeting, bleached 


Per yard 


.440 


.545 




441 


.564 


.460 


.525 


.441 


.553 


.450 


.528 


Sheets, bleached . 


Per sheet 


1.183 


1.413 


1 


070 


1.319 


1.145 


1.375 


1.150 


1,400 


1.108 


1.340 


Outing flannel . . . 


Per yard 


.145 


.207 




149 


.180 


.150 


.190 


.158 


.185 


.150 


.190 







Los Angeles, 
Cal. 


Louisville, 
Ky. 


Manchester, 
N. H. 


Memphis, 
Tenn. 


Milwaukee, 
Wis. 


Calico 


Per yard 
Per yard 
Per yard 
Per yard 
Per yard 
Per yard 
Per sheet 
Per yard 


$0,098 
.194 
.138 
.190 
.159 
.455 
1.275 
.161 


$0,119 
.231 
.171 
.248 
,213 
.598 
1 . 590 
.190 


$0,093 
.181 
.123 
.161 
.148 
,400 
1.147 
.156 


$0,127 
.217 
.188 
.234 
.194 
.482 
1.348 
.208 


$0,117 
.163 
.125 
.159 
.160 
.469 
1.293 
.142 


$0,122 
.190 
.125 
.213 
.230 
.581 
1.530 
.204 


$0,099 
.200 
.133 
.167 
.146 
.466 
1.181 
.168 


$0,120 
,220 
.150 
.238 
.204 
.563 
1.411 
.178 


$0,100 
.180 
.124 
.177 
.155 
.434 
1.367 
.160 


$0,116 
.207 
.150 
.207 
.175 
.572 
1.604 
.200 


Percale 


Gingham, apron. , 
Gingham, dress. , 
Muslin, bleached , 
Sheeting, bleached 
Sheets, bleached. 
Outing flannel . . . 



RETAIL PRICES. 



63 



AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF 8 ARTICLES OF DRY GOODS IN 45 CITIES, MAY 15. 1917, 
AND OCTOBER 15, 1917, BY ARTICLES— Concluded. 



Article. 


Unit. 


Minneapolis, 
Minn. 


Newark, 
N. J. 


New Haven. 
Conn. 


New Orleans, 
La. 


New York, 

N. Y. 


May 
15, 
1917 


Oct. 
15. 
1917 


May 
15, 
1917 


Oct. 
15. 
1917 


May 
15. 
1917 


Oct. 
15, 
1917 


May 
15, 
1917 


Oct. 
15, 
1917 


May 
15, 
1917 


Oct 

15, 

1917 


Calico 


Per yard 
Per yard 
Per yard 
Per yard 
Per yard 
Per yard 
Per sheet 
Per yard 


$0,107 

.187 
.129 
.194 
.149 
.427 
1.142 
.155 


$0,127 
.240 
.161 
.246 
.202 
.523 
1.406 
.189 


$0,095 

.183 
.117 
.179 
.149 
.45C 
1.15C 
.154 


$0,125 

.235 
.150 
.244 
.213 
.546 
1.370 
.191 


$0,097 

.177 
.125 
.167 
.15C 
.417 
1.12C 
.151 


$0,131 
.218 
.161 
.212 
.210 
.501 
1.340 
.173 


$0,100 
.150 
.117 
.15C 
.125 


$0,150 
.220 
.163 
.197 
.183 


$0,109 
.180 
.117 
.16^ 
.152 
.42f 
1.112 
.17( 


$0,139 
.208 
.154 
.216 
.713 
.569 
1.392 
.188 


Percale 

Gingham, apron . 
Gingham, dress. . 
Muslin, bleached. 
Sheeting, bleached 
Sheets, bleached. 
Outing flannel . . . 


.90( 


1.150 







Calico 

Percale 

Gingham, apron. . 
Gingham, dress. . 
Muslin, bleached. 
Sheeting, bleached 
Sheets, bleached. 
Outing flannel. . . 





Omaha, 


Philadelphia. 


Pittsburgh, 


Portland. 


Providence, 




Nebr. 


Pa. 


Pa. 


Oreg. 


R. I. 


Per yard 


$0,095 


>0.134 


$0,125 


$0,133 


$0.10( 


$0,119 


$0,094 


$0,127 


$0,098 


$0,130 


Per yard 


.175 


.250 


.197 


.235 


.187 


.223 


.175 


.228 


.176 


.188 


Per yard 


.113 


.168 


.119 


.171 


.113 


.166 


.108 


.147 


.133 


.170 


Per yard 


.15C 


.205 


.162 


.202 


.165 


.215 


.147 


.196 


.160 


.188 


Per yard 


.140 


.187 


.157 


.213 


.159 


.201 


.143 


.200 


.152 


.217 


Per yard 


.406 


.530 


.454 


.553 


.447 


.578 


.450 


.542 


.418 


.498 


Per sheet 


1.100 


1.342 


1.206 


1.443 


1.147 


1.412 


1.213 


1.467 


1.105 


1.422 


Per yard 


.144 


.189 


.149 


.182 


.153 


.193 


.167 


.176 















Richmond, 


Rochester, 


St. Loui.s, 


St. Paul, 


Salt Lake 






Va. 


N. Y. 


Mo. 


Minn. 


City, Utah. 


Calico 


Per yard 


$0.10.^ 


JO. 131 


$0.08^ 


j0.095 


$0,103 


$0,141 


$0,087 


$0,108 


$0,110 


$0,142 


Percale 


Per yard 


.171 


.221 


.158 


.200 


.190 


.250 


.175 


.210 


.200 


.238 


Gingham, apron.. 


Per yard 


.122 


.168 


.115 


.150 


.125 


.1.50 


.115 


.147 


.125 


.167 


Gingham, dress. . 


Per ayrd 


.157 


.234 


.191 


.223 


.170 


.245 


.147 


.172 


.173 


.234 


Muslin, bleached. 


Per yard 


.169 


.222 


.144 


.201 


.142 


.193 


.169 


.208 


.149 


.203 


Sheeting, bleached 


Per yard 


.446 


.581 


.424 


.508 


.554 


.540 


.386 


.474 


.442 


.571 


Sheets, bleached. 


Per sheet 


1.107 


1.392 


1.167 


1.387 


1.090 


1.318 


1.078 


1.370 


1.363 


1.638 


Outing flannel. . . 


Per yard 


.148 


.184 


.156 


.200 


.156 


.195 


.142 


.170 


.168 


.216 







San Fran- 


Scranton, 


Seattle, 


Springfield, 


Washington, 






cisco, Cal. 


Pa. 


Wash. 


111. 


D. C. 


Calico 


Per yard 






$0 088 


$0 125 


$0 103 


$0 150 


$0 100 


$0 125 


v$0 102 


$0 130 


Percale 


Per yard 


$0,208 


?0.250 


.190 


.220 


.200 


.250 






.178 


0.217 


Gingham, apron. . 


Per yard 


.125 


.193 


.110 


.158 


.125 


.190 


.125 


.165 


.134 


19? 


Gingham, dress. . 


Per yard 


.163 


.214 


.151 


.185 


.164 


.219 


.146 


.207 


.194 


.257 


Muslin, bleached. 


Per yard 


.161 


.230 


.145 


.198 


.170 


.209 


.146 


.190 


.154 


.219 


Sheeting,bleached 


Per yard 


.493 


.626 


.422 


.546 


.526 


.626 


.448 


.520 


.461 


.601 


Sheets, bleached.. 


Per sheet 


1.270 


1.540 


1.070 


1.320 


1.313 


1.538 


1.225 


1.625 


1.138 


1.563 


Outing flannel. , . 


Per yard 


.162 


.213 


.150 


.190 


.170 


.214 


.142 


.173 


.168 


.198 



64 



RETAIL PRICES. 



8.— RELATION BETWEEN CHANGES IN WHOLESALE 
AND RETAIL PRICES, 1913-1917. 

The December, 1917, issue of the Monthly Review of the United 
States Bureau of Labor Statistics, contains a very significant tabulation 
which shows the relation in variations between wholesale and retail 
prices. It is apparent from this table, that fluctuations between retail 
and wholesale prices conformed quite closely to each other up to Octo- 
ber, 1913. Since that date the margin between retail and wholesale 
prices has widened quite materially. 

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES OF IMPORTANT FOOD ARTICLES IN SELECTED 
CITIES. OCTOBER, 1913 TO 1916, AND JANUARY, APRIL, JULY. AUGUST, SEPTEMBER. 
AND OCTOBER, 1917. 

[The initials W=wholesale; R=retail.] 



Article and city. 



Bacon, short clear sides, 
Chicago W 

Bacon, sliced, Chicago. . .R 

Beans, medium, choice, 
New York W 

Beans, navy, small, white, 
New York R 

Beef: 
Fresh, carcass, Chicago W 
Round steak, Chicago. R 
Fresh, sides, New YorkW 
Rib roast, bone in. New 
York R 

Butter, creamery, extra, 
Chicago. W 

Butter, creamery, extra, 
Chicago R 

Butter, creamery, extra, 
New York .W 

Butter, creamery, extra, 
New York R 

Butter, creamery, extra, 
San Francisco W 



Unit, 



Lb. 
Lb. 

Lb. 

Lb. 

Lb. 
Lb. 
Lb, 

Lb. 

Lb. 

Lb. 

Lb. 

Lb. 

Lb. 



October. 



1913 



$0,129 
.327 



.038 



.130 
.216 
.130 

.216 

.290 

.354 

.308 

.375 

.335 



1914 



$0,137 
.334 



.047 



.144 
.238 
.135 

.222 

.295 

.340 

.310 

.372 

.305 



1915 



$0,113 
.314 

.059 

.087 

.138 
.254 
.128 

.226 

.275 

.324 

.291 

.339 

.270 



$0,162 
.329 

.088 

.119 

.138 
.235 
.130 

.231 

.345 

.394 

.350 

.408 

.340 



1917 



Jan, 



$0,158 
.316 

.108 

.149 

.138 

.227 
.133 

.238 

.370 

.438 

.395 

.460 

.355 



Apr, 



$0,218 
.395 

.130 

.162 

.160 
.256 
.173 

.270 

.440 

,484 

.450 

.513 

.390 



July. 



$0,247 
.439 

.154 

.188 

.163 
.266 
.163 

.279 

.375 

.432 

.395 

.453 

.385 



Aug. 



$0,261 
.429 

.150 

.189 

.168 
.273 
.170 

.286 

.394 

.448 

.408 

.470 

.435 



Sept. 



$0,274 
.476 

.135 

.185 

.190 
,281 
.185 

.298 

.425 

.484 

.444 

.507 

.435 



Oct. 



$0,318 

.475 

.138 
.185 

.190 

.273 
.183 

.298 

.435 

.487 

.443 

.515 

.460 



^Wholesale prices of fancy patent flour at St. Louis for the months shown in the November issue of the 
Monthly Review and not in the present issue are as follows: September, 1913, $4,300; September, 1914. 
$5,324; September, 1915, $5,200; September, 1916, $7,300. 



RETAIL PRICES. 



65 



WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES OF IMPORTANT FOOD ARTICLES IN SELECTED 

CITIES. ETC.— Concluded. 



Article and city- 



Butter, creamery, extra, 
San Francisco R 

Cheese, whole milk, Ameri- 
can twins, Chicago. . . .W 

Cheese, full cream, Ameri- 
can, Chicago R 

Cheese, whole milk. State, 
New York W 

Cheese, full cream, Ameri- 
can, New York R 

Cheese, fancy, California 
flats, San Francisco . . . W 

Cheese, full cream, Ameri- 
can, San Francisco . . . . R 

Eggs, fresh, firsts, Chi- 
cago W 

Eggs, strictly fresh, Chi- 
cago R 

Eggs, fresh, firsts, New 
York W 

Eggs, strictly fresh. New 
York R 

Eggs, fresh, extra, pullets', 
San Francisco W 

Eggs, strictly fresh, San 
Francisco R 

Flour, winter patents, Kan- 
sas City W 

Flour, Aristos, Kansas City 
R 

Flour, standard patents, 
Minneapolis W 

Flour, Pillsbury's Best, 
Minneapolis R 

Flour, fancy patents, St. 
Louis W 

Flour, Gold Medal, St. Louis 
R 

Ham, Smoked, Chicago. .W 

Ham, smoked, sliced, Chi- 
cago R 

Lamb, dressed, round, Chi- 
cago W 

Lamb, leg of, yearling, Chi- 
cago R 

Lard, prime, contract, New 
York W 

Lard, pure, tub. New York 
R 

Meal, corn, fine, yellow 
New York W 

Meal, corn, New York. . .R 

Milk, fresh, Chicago . . . . W 

Milk, fresh, bottled, deliv- 
ered, Chicago R 

Milk, fresh. New York. .W 

Milk, fresh, bottled, deliv- 
ered. New York R 

Milk,fresh,San Francisco W 

Milk, fresh, bottled, deliv 
vered, San Francisco. .R 

Potatoes, white, good to 
choice, Chicago W 

Potatoes, Chicago R 

Poultry, dressed fowls, New 
York W 

Poultry, hens, dressed. New 
York R 

Rice, head, Honduras, New 
Orleans W 

Rice, head, Louisiana, New 
Orleans R 

Sugar, granulated. New 
York W 

Sugar, granulated, New 
York R 







October. 








1917 






Unit. 
























1913 


1914 


1915 


1916 


Jan. 


Apr. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Lb. 


$0,400 


$0,379 


$0,342 


$0,404 


$0,425 


$0,452 


$0,455 


$0,504 


$0,530 


$0,545 


Lb. 


.153 


.128 


.140 


.186 


.218 


.223 


.216 


.215 


.240 


.246 


Tb 






.230 


.277 


.321 


.327 


.339 


.342 


.344 


.368 


Lb. 


.161 


.145 


.148 


.208 


.220 


.245 


.238 


.229 


.244 


.255 


Lb. 
Lb. 






.234 
.165 


.255 
.165 


.301 
.180 


.335 
.215 


.328 
.200 


.331 
.235 


.338 
.235 


.340 
.220 


.165 


.130 


Th 






.226 


.238 


.242 


.297 


.297 


.306 


.316 


.316 


Doz. 


.255 


.220 


.253 


.308 


.485 


.305 


.310 


.323 


.385 


.370 


Doz. 


.333 


.301 


.340 


.383 


.525 


.376 


.406 


.428 


.465 


.469 


Doz. 


.290 


.250 


.300 


.345 


.505 


.330 


.350 


.380 


.413 


.400 


Doz. 


.479 


.421 


.456 


.517 


.667 


.424 


.477 


.544 


.592 


.627 


Doz. 


.350 


.335 


.385 


.435 


.380 


.280 


.320 


.370 


.430 


.435 


Doz. 


.564 


.533 


.542 


.558 


.480 


.374 


.392 


.475 


.538 


.608 


Bbl. 


4.075 


5.075 


5.050 


7.550 


8.950 


11.450 


11.150 


12.900 


10.700 


10.500 


Bbl. 


5.900 


6.534 


7.300 


9.700 


10.600 


13.689 


13.680 


14.320 


13.289 


13.066 


Bbl. 


4.450 


5.750 


5.550 


8.850 


9.450 


11.025 


12.000 


13.200 


11.350 


10.550 


Bbl. 


5.600 


7.000 


6.400 


10.000 


10.800 


13.200 


13.424 


14.336 


12.208 


11.984 


Bbl. 


4.150 


5.075 


5.325 


7.600 


8.675 


11.375 


11.375 


12.875 


10.800 


11.250 


Bbl. 
Lb. 


6.200 
.164 


7.400 
.173 


6.880 
.163 


9.667 
.193 


10.587 
.188 


12.853 
.243 


13.200 
.243 


14.800 
.233 


13.700 
.263 


13.100 
.283 


Lb. 


.320 


.346 


.328 


.359 


.333 


.382 


.414 


.407 


.439 


.439 


Lb. 


.135 


.135 


.155 


.170 


.200 


.220 


.260 


.230 


.280 


.270 


Lb. 


.198 


.204 


.204 


.223 


.232 


.263 


.287 


.288 


.320 


.314 


Lb. 


.107 


.102 


.100 


.152 


.159 


.215 


.201 


.226 


.240 


.246 


Lb. 


.163 


.159 


.150 


.196 


.213 


.263 


.274 


.275 


.294 


.313 


Lb. 
Lb. 
Qt. 


.016 
.035 
.040 


.019 
.036 
.043 


.017 
.035 
.039 


.021 
.044 
.045 


.027 
.051 
.045 


.031 
.057 
.054 


.040 
.070 
.047 


.052 
.067 
.051 


.050 
.076 
.051 


.049 
.082 
.074 


8f: 


.080 
.040 


.080 
.040 


.080 
.038 


.090 
.050 


.100 
.051 


.100 
.049 


.100 
.050 


.100 
.060 


.100 
.060 


.129 
.072 


Qt. 
Qt. 


.090 
.039 


.090 
.039 


.090 
.038 


.098 
.038 


.100 
.038 


.109 
.038 


.114 
.043 


.125 
.043 


.124 
.058 


.138 
.059 


Qt. 


.100 


.100 


.100 


.100 


.100 


.100 


.100 


.100 


.121 


.121 


Bu. 
Bu. 


.605 
1.020 


.480 

.775 


.615 
.796 


1.200 
1.640 


1.750 
2.370 


2.700 
3.455 


2.625 
2.975 


1.600 
2.012 


1.250 
1.623 


1.135 
1.184 


Lb. 


.185 


.195 


.220 


.230 


.220 


.265 


.248 


.240 


.258 


.285 


Lb. 


.218 


.223 


.220 


.259 


.261 


.293 


.287 


.288 


.316 


.323 


Lb. 


.051 


.048 


.043 


.043 


.048 


.049 


.071 


.072 


.070 


.077 


T,b 






.070 


.073 


.074 


.088 


.101 


.103 


.101 


.100 


Lb. 


.042 


.059 


.048 


.070 


.066 


.081 


.074 


.082 


.082 


.082 


Lb. 


.049 


.066 


.054 


.074 


.074 


.087 


.084 


.090 


.092 


.097 



66 



RETAIL PRICES. 



• "A comparison of wholesale and retail price fluctuations, expressed 
as percentages of the price in October, 1913, is contained in the table 
that follows. It will be seen from this table that the wholesale prices 
of practically all articles in October, 1917, had increased to a larger 
extent than had retail prices. This is particularly noticeable in the 
case of bacon, flour, ham, lamb, lard, meal, milk, and potatoes. Of 
the 22 articles included in this table, only 1, granulated sugar, showed 
a larger per cent of increase in the retail than in the wholesale price. 
In nearly all instances retail prices were relatively lower in the other 
months shown in the table than were wholesale prices. 



RELATIVE PRICES, WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, OF IMPORTANT FOOD ARTICLES IN 
SELECTED CITIES, IN OCTOBER, 1914, 1915, AND 1916, AND' IN JANUARY, APRIL, JULY, 
AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, AND OCTOBER, 1917, COMPARED WITH OCTOBER, 1913. 

[The initials W=whole£ale; R=retail.] 



Article and city. 





October. 








1917 






1913 


1914 


1915 


1916 


Jan. 


Apr. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


100 


106 


88 


126 


122 


169 


191 


202 


212 


247 


100 


102 


96 


101 


97 


121 


134 


131 


146 


145 


100 


111 


106 


106 


106 


123 


125 


129 


146 


146 


100 


110 


118 


109 


105 


119 


123 


126 


130 


126 


100 


104 


98 


100 


102 


133 


125 


131 


142 


141 


100 


103 


105 


107 


110 


125 


129 


132 


138 


138 


100 


102 


95 


119 


128 


152 


129 


136 


147 


150 


100 


96 


92 


111 


124 


137 


122 


127 


137 


138 


100 


101 


94 


114 


128 


146 


128 


132 


144 


144 


100 


99 


90 


109 


123 


137 


121 


125 


135 


137 


100 


91 


81 


101 


106 


116 


115 


130 


130 


137 


100 


95 


86 


101 


106 


113 


114 


126 


133 


136 


100 


86 


99 


121 


190 


120 


122 


127 


151 


145 


100 


90 


102 


115 


158 


113 


122 


129 


140 


141 


100 


86 


103 


119 


174 


114 


121 


131 


142 


138 


100 


88 


95 


108 


139 


89 


100 


114 


124 


131 


100 


96 


110 


124 


109 


80 


91 


106 


123 


124 


100 


95 


96 


99 


85 


66 


70 


84 


95 


108 


100 


125 


124 


185 


220 


281 


274 


317 


263 


258 


100 


111 


124 


164 


180 


232 


232 


243 


225 


221 


100 


129 


125 


199 


212 


248 


270 


297 


255 


237 


100 


125 


114 


179 


193 


236 


240 


256 


218 


214 


100 


122 


128 


183 


209 


274 


274 


310 


260 


271 


100 


119 


111 


156 


171 


207 


213 


239 


221 


211 


100 


105 


99 


118 


115 


148 


148 


142 


160 


173 


100 


108 


103 


112 


104 


119 


129 


127 


137 


137 


100 


100 


115 


126 


148 


163 


193 


170 


207 


200 


100 


103 


103 


113 


117 


133 


145 


145 


162 


159 


100 


95 


93 


142 


149 


201 


188 


211 


224 


230 


100 


98 


92 


120 


131 


161 


168 


169 


180 


192 


100 


119 


106 


131 


169 


194 


250 


325 


313 


306 


100 


103 


100 


126 


146 


163 


200 


191 


217 


234 


100 


108 


98 


113 


113 


135 


118 


128 


128 


185 


100 


100 


100 


113 


125 


125 


125 


125 


125 


161 


100 


100 


95 


125 


128 


123 


125 


150 


150 


180 


100 


100 


100 


109 


111 


121 


127 


139 


138 


153 


100 


100 


97 


97 


97 


97 


110 


110 


149 


151 


100 


100 


100 


100 


100 


100 


100 


100 


121 


121 


100 


79 


102 


198 


289 


446 


434 


264 


207 


188 


100 


76 


78 


161 


232 


339 


292 


197 


159 


116 


100 


105 


119 


124 


119 


143 


134 


130 


139 


154 


100 


102 


101 


119 


120 


134 


132 


132 


145 


148 


100 


140 


114 


167 


157 


193 


176 


195 


195 


195 


100 


135 


110 


151 


151 


178 


171 


184 


188 


198 



Bacon, short clear sides, Chicago W 

Bacon, sliced, Chicago R 

Beef: 

Fresh, carcass, Chicago W 

Round steak, Chicago R 

Fresh sides. New York W 

Rib roast, bone in. New York R 

Butter, creameiy, extra, Chicago. . . .W 

Butter, creamery, extra, Chicago R 

Butter, creamery, extra. New York. . . W 
Butter, creamery, extra. New York. . . R 
Butter, creamery, extra, San Fran- 
cisco W 

Butter, creamery, extra, San Fran- 
cisco R 

Eggs, fresh, firsts, Chicago W 

Eggs, strictly fresh, Chicago R 

Eggs, fresh, firsts. New York W 

Eggs, strictly fresh. New York R 

Eggs, fresh, extra, pullets', San Fran- 
cisco W 

Eggs, strictly fresh, San Francisco. . .R 
Flour, winter patents. Kansas City . . . W 

Flour, Aristos, Kansas City R 

Flour, standard patents, Minneap- 
olis W 

Flour, Pillsbury's Best, Minneapolis . . R 

Flour, fancy patents, St. Louis W 

Flour, Gold Medal, St. Louis R 

Ham, smoked, Chicago W 

Ham, smoked, sliced, Chicago R 

Lamb, dressed, round, Chicago W 

Lamb, leg of, yearling, Chicago R 

Lard, prime, contract, New York. . . .W 

Lard, pure, tub. New York P 

Meal, corn, fine, yellow. New York.. . W 

Meal, corn. New York R 

Milk, fresh, Chicago W 

Milk, fresh, bottled, delivered, Chi-^ 

cago R 

Milk, fresh. New York W 

Milk, fresh, bottled, delivered, New 

York R 

Milk, fresh, San Francisco W 

Milk, fresh, bottled, delivered, San 

Francisco R 

Potatoes, white, good to choice W 

Potatoes, Chicago R 

Poultry, dressed fowls. New York . . . . VV 

Poultry, hens, dressed. New York R 

Sugar, granulated. New York W 

Sugar, granulated. New York R 



RETAIL PRICES. 



67 



9.— PRICE OF BREAD IN SELECTED CITIES, 1913-1917. 

The prices given below are the computed prices of a loaf scaled at 
16 ounces — that is, 16 ounces of dough — based on reports secured by 
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the actual scaling weights of the 5- 
cent loaf sold. While it would be highly desirable to present the price 
of the loaf as actually purchased by the consumer, the complications 
involved in the relation of the scaled weight to the weight of the bread 
when it passes over the retailer's counter were found to be such that it 
was impossible to do so. The loss of weight in baking varies with the 
formula, with the style of loaf, and with the temperature of the oven. 
Furthermore, the weight, of course, varies with the time intervening 
between the removal of the loaf from the oven and its delivery to the 
consumer, the loss by evaporation also being partly determined by the 
conditions under which the bread is kept and by the state of the atmos- 
phere. 

The customary loss in baking is variously estimated by bakers, but 
it may be said that a loaf weighing 16 ounces before baking will, when 
baked and cooled, weigh about 14>^ ounces. 

It must be borne clearly in mind that the price of bread varies with 
the kind of bread and the quality of materials used in its composition. 

No fancy, special, graham, rye, or restaurant breads are included 
in these prices. 

The following table shows the price of a loaf of bread weighing 16 
ounces before baking in 16 important industrial cities of the United 
States, on August 15 of each year, 1913, 1914, 1915, and 1916, and 
October 15, 1917. 



PRICE OF A LOAF OF BREAD WEIGHING 16 OUNCES BEFORE BAKING ON THE 15TH OF 
AUGUST, 1913 TO 1916, AND OCTOBER 15, 1917. 



City. 


Price of loaf on 


August 15, 
1913. 


August 15, 
1914. 


August 15, 
1915. 


August 15, 
1916. 


October 15, 
1917. 


Atlanta, Ga 

Baltimore, Md 


$0,056 
.050 
.047 
.052 
.043 
.050 
.051 
.049 
.050 
.053 
.044 
.055 
.049 
.049 
.054 
.052 


$0,054 
.050 
.049 
.053 
.044 
.051 
.050 
.048 
.050 
.053 
.041 
.059 
.049 
.050 
.054 
.051 


$0,061 
.057 
.054 
.058 
.052 
.054 
.060 
.055 
.058 
.056 
.049 
.060 
.055 
.062 
.057 
.056 


$0,063 
.056 
.057 
.058 
.051 
.056 
.060 
.057 
.057 
.057 
.048 
.059 
.054 
.057 
.056 
.059 


$0,091 
.082 
.094 
.093 
.081 
.089 
.088 
.089 
.092 
.089 
.077 
.088 
.086 
.093 
.083 
.090 


Chicago 111 .... 




Cleveland, Ohio 


Dallas, Tex 


Denver, Colo . ... 




New Haven, Conn 




New York, N. Y 

Portland, Ore 


St. Louis, Mo 




Washington, D. C 





68 



RETAIL PRICES. 



10.— RETAIL PRICES OF COAL, 1907-1917. 

Reports as to retail coal prices are received by the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics from approximately 250 coal dealers In the same 44 cities from 
which reports are received as to retail prices of food. 

The table given herewith shows the relative prices of Pennsylvania 
anthracite stove and chestnut coal and of bituminous coal on January 
15th, for the years of 1907-1917, inclusive. 

RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF COAL EACH YEAR, 1907-1917, INCLUSIVE, AND ON 
JANUARY 15 AND JULY 15, OF EACH YEAR OF THE SAME PERIOD. 

[Average price for 1915 =100.] 



Month and Year. 



January, 1907 
January, 1908 
January, 1909 
January, 1910 
January, 1911 
January, 1912 
January, 1913 
January, 1914 
January, 1915 
January, 1916 
January, 1917 



Pennsylvania 

white ash, 

stove. 



94 
95 
95 
95 
95 
96 
104 
100 
101 
103 
122 



Pennsylvania 
white ash, 
chestnut. 



92 
94 
94 
94 
94 
96 
103 
100 
101 
103 
121 



Bituminous 



102 
103 
99 
100 
103 
100 
105 
106 
102 
101 
138 



11.— PRICE OF MANUFACTURED AND NATURAL GAS, 

1915-1917. 

The following table shows the returns made by gas companies to the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics, by cities, during the period, 1915-1917. 

PRICE OF MANUFACTURED AND NATURAL GAS PER 1.000 CUBIC FEET, BY COMPANIES 

AND CITIES, 1915-1917. 



City and company. 



Atlanta, Ga 

Baltimore, Md. . . . 
Birmingham, Ala. . 
Boston, Mass.: 

Company A 

Company B 

Company C 

Bridgeport, Conn. 

Buffalo, N. Y 

Butte, Mont 

Charleston, S. C. . 

Chicago, 111 

Cleveland, Ohio. . . 

Denver, Colo , 

Detroit, Mich 

El Paso, Tex 

Fall River, Mass. , 
Indianapolis, Ind. , 
Jacksonville, Fla. . 
Manchester, N. H. 
Memphis, Tenn. . . 



Price per 1,000 cubic feet. 



October 15, 
1915. 



$1.00 
.80 
.95 

.80 
.80 
.80 



1.00 

1.50 

1.10 

.80 

.80 

.80 

.75 

1.30 

.80 

.55 

1.15 

1.00 

1.00 



April 15, 
1916. 



$1.00 

.75 
.95 



.80 

.80 

.80 

1.00 

1.00 

1.50 

1.10 

.80 

.80 

.80 

.75 

1.30 

.80 

.55 

1.15 

1.00 

1.00 



April 15, 
1917. 



$1 



.80 

.80 

.80 

1.00 

1.00 



.55 
1.15 
1.00 
1.00 



RETAIL PRICES. 



69 



PRICE OF MANUFACTURED AND NATURAL GAS PER 1,000 CUBIC FEET, BY COMPANIES 
AND CITIES, 1915-1917— Continued. 



City and company. 



Price per 1 ,000 cubic feet. 



October 15, 
1915. 



April 15, 
1916. 



April 15, 
1917. 



Milwaukee, Wis. . . 
Minneapolis, Minn. 

Newark, N.J 

New Haven, Conn. 
New Orleans, La. . 
New York, N. Y.: 

Company A , 

Company B 

Company D . . . . 

Company E 

Company F 

Company G 

Company H . . . . 

Company I 

Company J 

Omaha, Nebr 

Philadelphia, Pa... 
Pittsburgh, Pa.: 

Company A 



Company B 

Portland, Ore 

Providence, R. I 

Richmond, Va 

Rochester, N. Y 

St. Louis, Mo 

St. Paul, Minn 

Salt Lake City, Utah. 
San Francisco, Cal. . . 
Scranton, Pa.: 

Company A 

Company B 

Seattle, Wash 

Springfield, 111 

Washington, D. C: 

Company A 

Company B 



$0.75 

.80 

.90 

.90 

1.00 

.80 
.80 
.95 
.80 
.80 
.80 
.80 
.80 
.80 
1.00 
1.00 

1.00 

1.00 
.95 
.85 
.90 



.80 
.90 
1.90 
.85 

.95 
1.20 
1.00 
1.00 

.85 
1.00 



$0.75 

.77 

.90 

.90 

1.00 

.80 
.80 
.95 
.80 
.80 



.80 

.80 

1.00 

1.00 



.80 
.85 
1.90 
.85 

.95 
1.20 
1.00 
1.00 

.85 
1.00 



$0.75 

.77 

.90 

.90 

1.00 

.80 
.80 
2.95 
.80 
.80 
.80 
.80 
.80 
.80 
1.00 
1.00 

1.00 

1.00 
.95 
.85 
.80 
.95 
.75 
.85 

1.90 
.85 

.95 
1.20 
1.00 
1.00 

.75 
.85 



NATURAL GAS. 



Buffalo, N. Y.. 


$0.30 
.30 
.30 


$0.30 
.30 
.30 


$0.30 
.35 
.30 
.30 
.45 
.30 
.40 

.645 
.648 

.271 

.30 

.271 

.271 

.271 


Cleveland, Ohio 




Dallas, Tex 

Kansas City, Mo 

Little Rock, Ark 

Los Angeles, Cal.: 


.45 
.27 
.40 

.645 
.648 

.271 

.30 

.27§ 

.27^ 

.271 


.45 
.27 
.40 

.645 
.648 

.271 
.30 

.27i 
.271 
.271 


Louisville, Ky 


Pittsburgh, Pa.: 

Company C 


Company E 




Company H . . . . 





1 Rate entered is for first 2,000 cubic feet; next 20,000 cubic feet, 80 cents; all over 22,000 cubic 
feet, 70 cents. 

2 Rate being contested. 

MANUFACTURED AND NATURAL GAS MIXED. 



City and company. 


Price per 1,000 cubic feet. 


October 15, 
1915. 


April 15, 
1916. 


April 15, 
1917. 


Los Angeles, Cal.: 


$0.68 
.68 


$0.68 
.68 


$0.68 


Company C 







70 



RETAIL PRICES. 



12.— RELATIVE COST OF FOOD IN THE 
PRINCIPAL AMERICAN CITIES. 

The following table, which was prepared by Professor Ogburn, of the 
University of Washington, is of interest and value in showing com- 
parative prices of foodstuffs in the principal American cities. It is 
based on prices contained in a Bulletin of the United States Bureau 
of Labor Statistics (Whole Number 156). 

RELATIVE COST OF FOOD IN LEADING CITIES. 
[Portland, Oregon =100]. 



Minneapolis. . . 

St Paul 

Denver 

Milwaukee. . . . 

Cincinnati 

Detroit 

St. Louis 

Buffalo 

Portland 

Baltimore 

Chicago 

Salt Lake City 

Omaha 

Kansas City. . . 

Richmond 

Memphis 

Seattle 

Springfield . . . . 
Indianapolis. . . 

Cleveland 

Atlanta 

New Orleans . . 



92.7 


94.8 


96.2 


97.6 


97.8 


98.1 


98.2 


98.8 


100. 


100.2 


101.3 


101.9 


102.3 


102.4 


102.5 


102.7 


102.8 


103.5 


103.6 


104.4 


104.4 


104.6 



Manchester. . 
Schenectady. . 

Scranton 

Washington. . 
Little Rock... 
Pittsburgh . . . 
San Francisco 
New York. . . 
Philadelphia. . 

Dallas 

Boston 

Charleston . . . 
Louisville . . . . 
Los Angeles . . 

Fall River 

New Haven . . 
Providence . . . 
Jacksonville. . 

Newark 

Birmingham. , 



105 


7 


106 




106 


3 


106 


4 


106 


6 


106 


6 


106 


6 


106 


7 


107 


5 


107 


6 


108 


4 


108 


6 


109 




110 


3 


110 


3 


110 


8 


112 


5 


113 




114 


1 


115 


1 



13.— RETAIL PRICES IN 24 CITIES. 

PREPARED FOR COMMITTEE ON HEALTH OF CITY 

COUNCIL OF CITY OF CHICAGO, BY FREDERICK 

REX, MUNICIPAL REFERENCE LIBRARIAN. 

This pamphlet contains retail prices of 20 principal articles of food 
as of November 1, 1916, in 24 cities of the United States. For purposes 
of comparison the following table is of interest. 



AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE OF THE 20 ARTICLES OF FOOD IN EACH OF THE 24 CITIES. 



Rank. 



1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 



New Haven, Conn 

Los Angeles, Cal 

Philadelphia, Pa 

Toledo, Ohio 

Baltimore, Md 

Pittsburgh, Pa 

Birmingham, Ala 

Chicago, 111 

Milwaukee, Wis 

San Francisco, Cal 

Minneapolis, Minn 

Rochester, N. Y 

New York City 

Jersey City 

Providence, Rhode Island. 

Atlanta, Ga 

Cleveland, Ohio 

Newark, Ohio 

Dayton, Ohio 

Cincinnati, Ohio 

Indianapolis, Ind 

Oakland, Cal 

Columbus, Ohio 

Kansas City, Mo 



Average 
retail price. 



$0.45 
.42 
.41 
.40 
.40 
.40 



.38 
.38 
.38 
.38 
.38 
.37 
.37 
.37 
.36 
.35 
.34 
.33 
.32 
.31 
.31 
.30 
.25 



RETAIL PRICES. 71 

14.— REPORT OF THE RHODE ISLAND COMMISSION. 

The Food Products Report of the Commission on Living Costs in 
Rhode Island, on January 29, 1917, published as part of its findings 
the following data as to the increase in retail prices in Rhode Island 
during the year ending November 1, 1916. (pp. 16-20). 

FOOD PRICES. 

"So many factors enter into the fixing of prices for food, such as 
grades, special sales, quality of containers, frequency of deliveries, and 
length of credit, that it is difficult to compare prices in one store with 
prices for the same commiodities in another store upon any fixed date. 
It is even more difficult to accurately compare prices for a certain num- 
ber of commodities from year to year, but it is believed that fair com- 
parisons are obtainable when prices for a certain number of commodities 
are secured from more than a hundred stores upon a certain date, and 
the average of these prices be compared with average prices for the 
same commodities in the same stores upon the same date of the pre- 
ceding year. 

"The statistics presented in the following tables are based upon prices 
obtained as of November 1, 1916, in 110 representative stores in the 
State of Rhode Island, of which 32 were in Providence, 20 in the cities 
of Pawtucket and Central Falls, 10 in Woonsocket, 9 in Newport and 
39 in other populous sections of the State. 

"The average wholesale prices for table necessities show an average 
increase of 27.8 per cent, November 1, 1916, as compared with the 
average wholesale prices for the same necessities, November 1, 1915; 
while the average increase in retail prices for the same comparative 
period equals 23.4 per cent. 

"It is noticeable that wholesale prices show increases averaging 4.4 
per cent more than the average increase in retail prices. 

"Increase of more than 50 per cent in both wholesale and retail prices 
are found "in the following: Beans, 60 per cent; bread flour, 58.8 per 
cent by the barrel and 62.5 per cent by the bag; currants, 72.3 per cent; 
lard, compound, 56.3 per cent; lard, pure, 57.1 per cent; cabbage, 115.7 
per cent; potatoes, 98.5 per cent; and yellow onions, 62.5 per cent. 

"Only one article in the list of wholesale prices (fresh pork) shows a 
decrease in 1916 over 1915, and upon investigating the reason therefor 
it was found that an abnormal wholesale supply on hand November 1, 
1916, compared with November 1, 1915, caused a temporary reduction 
in wholesale quotations. 

"Rice is the only article of food which shows any reduction in retail 
prices, and that but an infinitesimal one. 

"It should be noted that since November 1, 1916, sharp advances 
have taken place in a number of articles of food, noticeable among 
which are the advances which have caused almost prohibitive prices 
for flour and potatoes. 

"Other than for pork products, the advance in meats, compared with 
many other articles of food, has been comparatively small. The reason 
is undoubtedly because meats have reached a point where the average 



72 RETAIL PRICES. 

family has curtailed its purchases in this direction and refuses to pay 
higher prices, the result being that meats are disposed of in the average 
retail store or market with a much less margin of profit, if any at all, 
than for any other articles of food. 

"In connection with the investigation of retail prices for 1916, a num- 
ber of facts have been ascertained v/hich it is believed are so important 
in connection with the tabulation of average prices that they should be 
made a matter of record. 

"The five-cent loaf of bread, 16 ounces to the loaf, has been almost 
entirely superseded by the six-cent loaf of 13 ounces; although a few 
large stores operating their own bakeries at the time of this investigation 
were selling a 16-ounce loaf of bread for five cents. 

"Domestic or near-by eggs may be classed as an article of food, prices 
for which are fixed in accordance with season and proximity to markets. 
In suburban or country stores the price for eggs is generally five cents 
per dozen cheaper than in the cities of the state, and variations in city 
prices are apt to be the result of mixing selected fresh Western eggs with 
domestic eggs, thereby reducing the average cost to the dealer. 

"Prices for fresh meats are so affected by quality or grade, and style 
of trimming, that the variations between high and low prices for lamb 
and mutton chops, roasts, and steaks of all kinds produce prices which as 
presented seem abnormally low. 

"Such low prices as help to make up the average for the 110 stores 
visited are not necessarily economical ones, as the waste and quality 
which accompanies such prices are apt to deduct from their real worth. 

"Prices for coffee and tea are so dependent upon quality and brand 
that comparative prices for the same are rather misleading. Retail 
prices for coffee range from 17 to 40 cents and for so-called Formosa 
tea from 22 cents to $1.00 per pound. 

"Imported macaroni and spaghetti have been almost entirely super- 
seded by the domestic article during the past two years, so much so, in 
fact, that but few stores can be found which are carrying the imported 
product. 

"The sharp advances in prices for cabbage, potatoes and onions are 
due to short crops caused by unseasonable weather, although there is 
no reason for believing that even under normal conditions these articles 
of food would not have risen in proportion to the rise in other table 
necessaries during the past year. 

"Other than for reductions in prices which always come in certain 
seasons of the year, there is little hope of any general reduction in the 
cost of food until exports are reduced for one reason or another." 



RETAIL PRICES. 



73 



Table I.— AVERAGE WHOLESALE PRICES, 45 ARTICLES OF FOOD IN THE CITY OF 
PROV^IDENCE, SHOWING COMPARATIVE PRICES FOR NOVEMBER 1, 1915 AND 1916. 



Food. 



Average prices 



November 1, 
1915. 



November 1 , 
1916. 



Percent of 
Increase 
for 1916. 



Beans, pea, York State, per bu. . . . 
Butter, creamery, tub, per lb 

Cheese, creamery, per lb 

Coffee, per lb 

Eggs, domestic, per doz 

Eggs, fresh, Western, per doz 

Eggs, storage, per doz 

Fish, cod, cured, boneless, per lb. . 

Flour, rye, per bbl. (]96 lbs.) 

Flour, wheat, bread, per bbl 

Flour, wheat, pastr\', per bbl 

Fruit, currants, per lb 

Fruit, prunes, Calif., per lb 

Fruit, raisins, seeded, per lb 

Lard, compound, per lb 

Lard, pure, per lb 

Macaroni, domestic, per lb 

Meal, corn, per lb 

Meal, oat, per lb 

Meat, bacon, per lb I . 

Meat, fowl, native, per lb 

Meat, fowl. Western, per lb 

Meat, hams, w^hole, per lb 

Meat, lambs, whole, per lb 

Meat, mutton, whole, per lb 

Meat, pork, fresh, per lb 

Meat, pork, salt, per lb 

Meat, beef, sides, per lb. . . 

Meat, beef, loins and rumps, per lb 
Meat, beef, standing ribs, per lb. . . 

Meat, beef, legs, per lb 

Meat, beef, chucks, per lb 

Meat, beef, plates, per lb 

Meat, sausage, per lb 

Meat, tripe, per lb 

Molasses, New Orleans, per gal. . . . 

Oil, Olive, imported, per gal 

Rice, Carolina, per lb 

Salt, table, per lb 

Spaghetti, domestic, per lb 

Sugar, granulated, per lb 

Tea, Formosa, per lb 

Vegetables, cabbage, per lb 

Vegetables, potatoes, per bu 

Vegetables, onions, yellow, per bu. 



$4,125 
.296 

.193 
.238 

.487 
.382 
.261 

.139 
6.15 
6.064 

5.48 
.124 
.098 
.099 

.105 

.115 

.079 

.0195 

.031 

.179 

.188 

.176 

.159 

.154 

.13 

.182 

.117 

.114 

.153 

.134 

.12 

.117 

.086 

.175 

.046 

.39 

2.166 

.066 
.012 
.079 
.056 

.335 

.006 

.86 

1.116 



S7.292 
.371 

.229 
.238 

.592 
.427 
.321 

.161 

8.37 
10.114 

8.82 
.208 
.106 
.119 

.158 

.184 

.088 

.0305 

.037 

.207 

.231 

.222 

.198 

.162 

.152 

.167 

.158 

.123 

.17 

.147 

.124 

.124 

.091 

.203 

.055 

.432 

2.475 

.066 
.014 
.088 
.078 

.343 

.025 
1.74 
1.781 



76.8 
25.4 

18.6 
00.0 

21.6 
11.8 
23.0 

15.8 
36.1 
66.8 
60.9 
67.7 
8.2 
20.2 

50.5 

60.0 

11.4 

56.4 

1.9 

10.1 

22.9 

26.1 

24.5 

5.2 

16.9 

=—8.2 

35.0 

7.9 

11.1 

9.7 

3.3 

6.0 

5.8 

16.0 

19.6 

10.8 

14.3 

00.0 
16.7 
11.4 
39.3 

2.4 

150.0 

102.3 

59.6 



*Decreas?. 



74 



RETAIL PRICES. 



Table II.— AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES, 59 ARTICLES OF FOOD IN 110 RHODE ISLAND 
STORES, SHOWING COMPARATIVE PRICES FOR NOVEMBER 1, 1915 AND 1916. 



Food. 



Average prices. 



November 1, 
1915. 



November 1, 
191t3. 



Percent of 

Increase 

or decrease 



Beans, pea, York State, per qt . . . . 

Bread, no. oz. per 5c loaf 

Bread, no. oz. per 6c loaf 

Butter, creamery, tub, per lb 

Cheese, creamery, per lb 

Coffee, per lb 

Eggs, domestic, per doz 

Eggs, fresh, Western, per doz 

Eggs, storage, per doz 

Fish, cod, cured, boneless, per lb. . . 

Flour, rye, per lb 

Flour, wheat bread, per bbl 

Flour, wheat bread, per bag 

Flour, wheat pastry, per bbl 

Flour, wheat pastry, per bag 

Fruit, currants, per lb 

Fruit, prunes, Calif., per lb 

Fruit, raisins, seeded, per lb 

Lard, compound, per lb 

Lard, pure, per lb 

Macaroni, domestic, per lb 

Meal, corn, per lb 

Meal, oat, per lb 

Meat, bacon, sliced, per lb. 

Meat, corned beef, brisket, per lb. . 
Meat, corned beef, other, per lb. . . 

Meat, fowl, native, per lb 

Meat, fowl. Western, per lb 

Meat, ham, whole, smoked, per lb. 
Meat, lamb, forequarters, per lb. . . 

Meat, lamb, legs, per lb 

Meat, lamb, chops, rib, per lb 

Meat, lamb, chops, loin, per lb. . . . 
Meat, mutton, forequarters, per lb. 

Meat, mutton, legs, per lb 

Meat, mutton chops, rib, per lb. . . 
Meat, mutton, chops, loin, per lb. . 

Meat, pork, fresh, per lb 

Meat, pork, salt, per lb 

Meat, beef, rib roast, per lb 

Meat, beef, sirloin, roast, per lb. . . . 

Meat, sausage, per lb 

Mea*^, steak, hamburg, per lb 

Meat, steak, porterhouse, per lb. . . 

Meat, steak, rump, per lb 

Meat, steak, sirloin, per lb 

Meat, steak, top round, per lb 

Meat, steak, whole round, per lb. . 

Meat, tripe, per lb 

Molasses, New Orleans, per gal. . . . 

Oil, olive, imported, pel qt 

Rice, Carolina, whole, per lb 

Salt, table, per lb 

Spaghetti, domestic, per lb 

Sugar, granulated, lbs. for $1 

Vegetables, cabbage, per lb 

Vegetables, potatoes, per bu 

Vegetables, onions, yellow, per pk. 



.15 
.5 oz. 



.333 
.222 
.303 
.58 
.40 
.31 
.168 
.043 
.20 
.879 
.30 
.766 
.123 
.134 
.121 
.11 
.133 
.13 
.036 
.045 
.223 
.195 
.153 
.248 
.225 
.189 
.158 
.205 
.316 
.365 
.117 
.197 
.225 
.277 
.203 
.155 
.229 
.318 
.213 
.216 
.405 
.378 
.373 
.316 
.285 
.104 
.588 
.855 
.095 
.015 
.131 
.5 lbs 
.019 
1.00 
.35 



$.24 
12.53 oz. 
12.10 
$.432 

.279 

.306 

.639 

.473 

.374 

.19 

.051 
11.435 



1.429 
9.996 
1.262 

.212 

.139 

.138 

.172 

.209 

.148 

.043 

.066 

.256 

.205 

.162 

.285 

.266 

.239 

.170 

.254 

.342 

.373 

.123 

.203 

.246 

.303 

.233 

.197 

.242 

.332 

.251 

.222 

.418 

.383 

.389 

.328 

.299 

.114 

.614 

.924 

.094 

.015 

.147 
12.07 lbs. 
$.041 
1.985 

.569 



60.00 

7.2 



29.73 

25.67 

1.01 

10.17 

18.25 

20.64 

13.10 

18.60 

58.82 

62.57 

58.51 

64.77 

72.35 

3.73 

14.05 

56.36 

57.14 

13.85 

19.44 

46.66 

14.79 

5.12 

5.88 

14.91 

18.22 

26.45 

7.59 

23.90 

8.23 

2.19 

5.13 

3.05 

9.33 

9.38 

14.77 

27.09 

5.67 

4.40 

17.84 

2.77 

3.21 

1.33 

4.29 

3.80 

4.91 

9.62 

4.42 

8.07 

*— .10 

.00 

12.21 

22.14 

115.79 

98.5 

62.57 



♦Decrease. 



CHAPTER II 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



1. AVERAGE AND RELATIVE WHOLESALE PRICES OF 
24 COMMODITIES. 

The following table which has been compiled from the publications 
of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics shows by years, for the 
period 1890-1917, the average and relative wholesale prices of 17 
foodstuffs, together with lumber, timber, raw cotton, wool, pig and bxr 
iron, and anthracite and bituminous coal. 



AVERAGE AND RELATIVE WHOLESALE PRICES OF COMMODITIES 1890-1917. 



Year. 


Beeves, good to 

choice live weight, 

100 pounds 


Hogs, fair to 

good live weight, 

100 pounds 


Bacon, clear, 
pound 


Ham, sugar cured, 
pound. 


Average 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


1890-1899 .... 
1890 


$4.7347 
4.1375 
5.0976 
4.4995 
4.8394 

4.5245 
4.9344 
4.2712 
4.7736 
4.8846 

5.3851 
5.3938 
5.5901 
6.5572 
5.0615 

5.1923 
5.2192 
5.3572 
5.8120 
5.9976 

6.4529 
7.0173 
6.7272 
8.4024 
8.5072 

9.0387 
8.7015 
9.573 
.11.177 


100.0 
87.4 

107.7 
95.0 

102.2 

95.6 
104.2 

90.2 
100.8 
103.2 

113.7 
113.9 
118.1 
138.5 
106.9 

109.7 
110.2 
113.1 
122.8 
126.7 

136.3 
148.2 
142.1 
177.5 
179.7 

190.9 
183.8 
202.2 
236.1 






$0.0675 
.0603 
.0699 
.0787 
.1048 

.0751 
.0650 
.0494 
.0541 
.0596 

.0583 
.0752 
.0891 
.1073 
.0959 

.0775 
.0800 
.0942 
.0954 
.0901 

.1173 
.1332 
.0949 
.1107 

.1274 

.1323 
.1155 
.149 
.179 


100.0 
89.3 
103.6 
116.6 
155.3 

111.3 
96.3 

73.2 
80.1 
88.3 

86.4 
111.4 
132.0 
159.0 
142.1 

114.8 
118.5 
139.6 
141.3 
133.5 

173.8 
197.3 
140.6 
164.0 
188.7 

195.9 
171.1 
220.7 
265.2 


$0.0984 
.0995 
.0982 
.1076 
.1249 

.1019 
.0947 
.0943 
.0894 
.0807 

.0923 
.1025 
.1075 
.1211 

.1271 

.1072 
.1046 
.1235 
.1303 
.1125 

.1310 
.1644 
.1398 
.1429 
.1662 

.1670 
.1531 
.185 
.212 


100.0 
101.1 
99.8 
109.3 
126.9 

103 . 5 
96.2 
95.8 
90.9 
82.0 

93.8 
104.2 
109.2 
123.1 
129.2 

108.9 
106.3 
125.5 
132.4 
114.3 

133.1 
167.1 
142.1 
145.2 
168.9 

169.7 
155.6 
188.0 
215.4 






1891 






1892 






1893 

1894 










1895 

1896... . 










1897 






1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 


















1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

1906 

1907 

1908 

1909 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 


















































1914 

1915 


$8,371 
7.159 
9.508 

12.584 






1916 

1917 











75 



76 WHOLESALE PRICES. 

AVERAGE AND RELATIVE WHOLESALE PRICES OF COMMODITIES, 1890-1917— Continued. 



Year. 


Pork, salt, mess., 
barreL 


Lard, pound. 


Eggs, dozen. 
New York. 


Milk, fresh, quart, 
New York. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


1890-1899.... 

1890 

1891 .. . 


$11.6332 
12.1502 
11.3029 

11.5252 
18.3389 

14.1262 

11.8255 

8.9399 

8.9087 

9.8678 

9.3462 
12.5072 
15.6108 
17.9399 
16.6514 

14.0288 
14.4183 
17.5120 
17.5684 
15.9736 

21.3438 
23.7380 
19.1587 
19.2854 
22.4712 

22.7358 
18.3173 
26.770 
33.646 


100.0 

104.0 

97.2 

99.1 

157.6 

121.4 

101.7 

76.8 

76.6 

84.8 

80.3 
107.5 
134.2 
154.2 
143.1 

120.6 
123.9 
150.5 
151.0 
137.3 

183.5 
204.1 
164.7 
165.8 
193.2 

195.5 

157.5 
230.1 
289.2 


$0.0654 
.0633 
.0660 
.0771 
.1030 

.0773 
.0653 
.0469 
.0441 
.0552 

.0556 
.0690 
.0885 
.1059 
.0877 

.0731 
.0745 
.0887 
.0920 
.0908 

.1169 
.1253 
.0908 
.1049 
.1101 

.1037 
.0940 
.135 
.173 


100.0 
96.8 
100.9 
117.9 
157.5 

118.2 
99.8 
71.7 
67.4 
84.4 

85.0 
105.5 
135.3 
161.9 
134.1 

111.8 
113.9 
135.6 
140.7 
138.8 

178.7 
191.6 
138.8 
160.4 
168.3 

158.5 
143.7 
206.4 
264.5 


$0.1963 
.1945 
.2160 
.2167 

.2247 

.1835 
.2002 
.1741 
.1718 
.1817 

.1994 
.1977 
.2095 
.2409 
.2418 

.2650 
.2712 
.2615 
.2771 
.2788 

.3146 
.3258 
.2977 
.3315 
.3268 

.2656 
.2569 
.293 
.399 


100.0 
99.1 
110.0 
110.4 
114.5 

93.5 
102.0 
88.7 
87.5 
92.6 

101.6 
100.7 
106.7 

122.7 
123.2 

135.0 
138.2 
133.2 
141.2 
142.0 

160.3 
166.0 
151.7 
168.9 
166.5 

135.3 
130.9 
149.3 
203.3 


$0.0255 
.0263 
.0267 
.0268 
.0279 

.0263 
.0253 
.0234 
.0235 
.0239 

.0253 
.0274 
.0262 
.0288 
.0288 

.0275 
.0289 
.0301 
.0335 
.0329 

.0338 
.0368 
.0336 
.0368 
.0353 

.0351 
.0355 
.039 
.050 


100.0 
103.1 
104.7 
105.1 
109.4 

103.1 
99.2 
91.8 

92.2 
93.7 

99.2 
107 . 5 
102.7 
112.9 
112.9 

107.8 
113.3 
118.0 
131.4 
129.0 

132.5 
144.3 
131.8 
144.3 
138.4 

137.6 
139.2 
148.3 
190.1 


1892 


1893 

1894 

1895 


1896 

1897 


1898 

1899 


1900 


1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 


1905 


1906 


1907 


1908 


1909 


1910 


1911 


1912 


1913 

1914 ;. 

1915 


1916 

1917 



Year. 


Sugar, granulated, 
pound. 


Potatoes, white, 
bushel. 


Beans, Navy, 
bushel. 


Coal, anthracite, 
stove, long ton. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


1890-1899 

1890 


$0.0473 
.0617 
.0471 
.0435 
.0484 

.0411 
.0416 
.0453 
.0450 
.0497 

.0492 
.0533 
.0505 
.0446 
.0464 

.0477 
.0526 
.0452 
.0465 
.0494 

.0476 
.0496 
.0533 
.0505 
.0427 

.0471 
.0556 
.069 
.069 


100.0 

130.5 

99.7 

92.1 

102.3 

87.0 
87.9 
95.9 
95.1 
105.2 

104.2 

112.8 

106.8 

94.2 

98.2 

101.0 

111.2 

95.5 

98.4 

104.5 

100.7 
104.9 
112.8 
106.7 
90.4 

99.7 
117.5 
145.9 
145.9 


$0.4991 
.5956 
.7730 
.4546 
.6714 

.6128 
.4326 
.1965 
.3279 
.5094 

.4172 
.3736 
.5642 
.5958 
.5249 

.7301 
.4026 
.5476 
.4912 
.7119 

.6858 
.4275 
.7706 
.9133 
.5932 

2.1200 
1.3041 
1.111 
2.180 


100.0 
119.3 
154.9 
91.1 
134.5 

122.8 
86.7 
39.4 
65.7 

102.1 

83.6 
74.9 
113.0 
119.4 
105.2 

146.3 
80.7 

109.7 
98.4 

142.6 

137.4 
85.7 
154.4 
183.0 
118.9 

424.8 
261.3 
222.6 
436.8 


$1.6699 
2.0292 
2.2531 
1.8698 
1.9906 

1 . 8469 
1.7896 
1.1740 
1 . 0448 
1.2479 

1.4531 
2.0969 
2.1927 
1.9198 
2.2625 

2.0104 
2.1500 
1.9000 
1.7771 
2.3198 

2 . 4500 

2.3990 

b2.2885 

b4.6614 

b3.9896 

b4.0333 
b5.8125 
b8.450 
bll.517 


100.0 
121.5 
134.9 
112.0 
119.2 

110.6 

107.2 

70.3 

62.6 

74.7 

87.0 
125.6 
131.3 
115.0 
135.5 

120.4 
128.8 
113.8 
106.4 
138.9 

146.7 
143.7 
137.0 
279.1 
238.9 

241.5 
348.1 
506.0 
689.7 


$3.7949 
3.7108 
3.8542 
4.1532 
4.1931 

3.6003 
3.1264 
3.7942 
4.0146 
3.7978 

3.7047 
3.9451 
4.3224 
4.4627 
4.8245 

4.8246 
4.8226 
4.8615 
4.8215 
4.8226 

4.8196 
4.8178 
4.8063 
5.0329 
5.0613 

5.0607 
5.0446 
5.454 
5.682 


100.0 
97.8 
101.6 
109.4 
110.5 

94.9 

82.4 

100.0 

105.8 

100.1 

97.6 
104.0 
113.9 
117.6 
127.1 

127.1 
127.1 
128.1 
127.1 
127.1 

127.0 
127.0 
126.7 
132.6 
133.4 

133.4 
132.9 
143.7 
149.7 


1891 


1892 


1893 

1894 


1895 . 


1896 

1897 


1898 


1899 


1900 


1901 


1902 


1903 


1904 


1905 


1906 


1907 


1908 


1909 


1910 


1911. . 


1912 


1913 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 





b — For 100 pounds. 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 77 

AVERAGE AND RELATIVE WHOLESALE PRICES OF COMI^IODITIES, 1890-1917— Continued. 



Year. 


Lumber, white pine, 

clear, thousand 

feet. 


Wheat, 
Chicago, 


spring, 
bushel. 


Corn, bushel. 


Wheat, flour, 
barrel. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


1890-1899. ... 

1890 

1891 

1892 


S18.4646 
20.7500 
19.9583 
18.5000 
18.5000 
18.5000 
16.9167 
16.4167 
16.4375 
18.6250 
20.0417 
20.7083 
19.6667 
21.0000 
21.0000 
21.4167 
24.9167 
29.3333 
30.50000 
30.5000 
33.0417 
30.8000 
30.5909 
33.1364 
32.1364 
29.6250 
28.1818 
31.82 


100.0 
112.4 
108.1 
100.2 
100.2 
100.2 
91.6 
88.9 
89.0 
100.9 
108.5 
112.2 
106.5 
113.7 
113.7 
116.0 
134.9 
158.9 
165.2 
165.2 
178.9 
166.8 
165.7 
179.5 
174.0 
160.4 
152.6 
172.3 


SO. 7510 

.8933 

.9618 

.7876 

.6770 

.5587 

.6000 

.6413 

.7949 

.8849 

.7109 

.7040 

.7187 

.7414 

.7895 

1.0390 

1.0104 

.7931 

.9073 

.9899 

1.1997 

1.0973 

.9844 

1.0490 

.9533 

1.0412 

1 . 3443 


100.0 

118.9 

128.1 

104.9 

90.1 

74.4 

79.9 

85.4 

105.8 

117.8 

94.7 

93.7 

95.7 

98.7 

105.1 

138.3 

134.5 

105.6 

120.8 

131.8 

159.7 

146.1 

131.1 

139.7 

126.9 

138.6 

179.0 


$0.3804 
.3950 
.5744 
.4500 
.3964 
.4326 
.3955 
.2580 
.2546 
.3144 
.3333 
.3811 
.4969 
.5968 
.4606 
.5046 
.5010 
.4632 
.5280 
.6843 
.6677 
.5810 
.5900 
.6855 
.6251 
.6953 
.7295 
.825 
1.310 


100.0 
103.8 
151.0 
118.3 
104.2 
113.7 
104.0 
67.8 
66.9 
82.6 
87.6 
100.2 
130.6 
156.9 
121.1 
132.6 
131.7 
121.8 
138.8 
179.9 
175.5 
152.7 
155.1 
180.2 
164.3 
182.7 
191.8 
216.9 
344.4 



















1893 

1894 

1895 

1896 

1897 






















1898 






1899 

1900 










1901 






1902 

1903 










1904 


Not obta 


inable. 


1905 


1906 

1907 

1908 

1909 

1910 .... 






















1911 






1912 






1913 






1914 


4.363 
5.860 
6.364 
8.833 




1915 

1916 






dl917 





















d — ^January-March, 1917. 



Year. 


Corn meal, yellov/, 
barrel. 


Butter, 


pound. 


Cheese, pound, 
New York. 


Cotton, upland, 

middling (N.Y.). 

pound 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


1890-1899.... 

1890 

1891 


$1.0169 
1.0200 
1.4579 
1.1608 
1.0833 
1.0629 
1.0613 
.7854 
.7633 
.8463 
.9273 
.9908 
1.1875 
1.5250 
1.2783 
1.3333 
1.3250 
1.2625 
1.3575 
1.6146 
1.6104 
1.4792 
1.2913 
1.6521 
1.4250 
1.5708 
1.7250 
2.060 
2.717 


100.0 
100.3 
143.4 
114.2 
106.5 
104.5 
104.4 
77.2 
75.1 
83.2 
91.2 
97.4 
116.8 
150.0 
125.7 
131.1 
130.3 
124.2 
133.5 
158.8 
158.4 
145.5 
127.0 
162.5 
140.1 
154.4 
169.6 
202.6 
267.2 


$0.2170 
.2238 
.2501 
.2528 
.2581 
.2194 
.2064 
.1793 
.1837 
.1886 
.2075 
.2178 
.2114 
.2413 
.2302 
.2178 
.2429 
.2459 
.2761 
.2692 
.2893 
.2977 
.2644 
.2968 
.3077 
.2881 
.2846 
.327 
.400 


100.0 

103.1 

115.3 

116.5 

118.9 

101.1 

95.1 

82.6 

84.7 

86.9 

95.6 

100.4 

97.4 

111.2 

106.1 

100.4 

111.9 

113.3 

127.2 

124.1 

133.3 

137.2 

121.8 

136.8 

141.8 

132.7 

131.2 

150.7 

184.3 


SO. 0987 
.0958 
.1011 
.1058 
.1076 
.1060 
.0929 
.0908 
.0968 
.0822 
.1075 
.1128 
.1011 
.1126 
.1217 
.1019 
.1212 
.1313 
.1414 
.1364 
.1485 
.1572 
.1401 
.1645 
.1541 
.1518 
.1509 
c.174 
c.224 


100.0 
97.1 
102.4 
107.2 
109.0 
107.4 
94.1 
92.0 
98.1 
83.3 
108.9 
114.3 
102.4 
114.1 
123.3 
103.2 
122.8 
133.0 
143.3 
138.2 
150.5 
159.3 
141.9 
166.7 
156.1 
153.8 
152.9 
176.3 
227.0 


$0.0776 
.1109 
.0861 
.0769 
.0832 
.0700 
.0730 
.0792 
.0715 
.0597 
.0658 
.0961 
.0863 
.0893 
.1124 
.1210 
.0955 
.1103 
.1188 
.1046 
.1211 
.1512 
.1304 
.1150 
.1279 
.1210 
.1015 
.145 
.198 


100.0 

142.9 

110.8 

99.0 

107.2 

90.0 

94.0 

102.0 

92.0 

96.9 

84.7 

123.8 

111.1 

115.1 

144.7 

155.9 

123.1 

142.0 

153.0 

134.8 

156.0 

194.8 

168.0 

148.2 

164.8 

155.9 

130.8 

186.9 

255.2 


1892 


1893 


1894 


1895 


1896 

1897 

1893 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 


1905 


1906 

1907 

1908 

1909 


1910 


1911 


1912 


1913 


1914 


1915 

1916 


dl917 





d — January-March, 1917. 



c — American-Chicago. 



78 WHOLESALE PRICES. 

AVERAGE AND RELATIVE WHOLESALE PRICES OF COMMODITIES, 1890-1917— Concluded. 



Year. 


Wool, Ohio, medium 

fleece scoured, 

pound. 


Pig Iron, No. 1, 

foundry, long 

ton. 


Bar Iron, best, 

refined, long 

ton. 


Coal, bituminous, 
ton. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


Average. 


Relative. 


1890-1899 .... 
1890 


$0.4564 
.6143 
.5820 
.5276 
.4620 

.3542 
.3280 
.3186 
.3999 
.4805 

.4966 
.5296 
.4315 
.4436 
.4658 

.4869 
.5348 
.5125 
.5158 
.4899 

.5429 
.4884 
.4490 
.4792 
.4710 

.4398 
.5714 
.680 
.957 


100.0 
134.6 
127.5 
115.6 
101.2 

77.6 
71.9 
69.8 
87.6 
105.3 

108.8 

116.0 

94.5 

97.2 

102.1 

106.7 
117.2 
112.3 
113.0 
107.3 

119.0 
107.0 
98.4 
105.0 
103.2 

96.4 
125.2 
149.0 
209.7 


$14.8042 
18.4083 
17.5208 
15.7492 
14.5167 

12.6642 
13.1033 
12.9550 
12.1008 
11.6608 

19.3633 
19.9800 
15.8683 
22.1933 
19.9158 

15.5725 
17.8850 
20.9825 
23.8950 
17.7000 

17.8058 
17.3617 
15.7125 
16.5575 
17.0675 

12.8733 
13.7408 
al9.760 
a36.892 


100.0 
124.3 
118.4 
106.4 
98.1 

85.5 
88.5 
87.5 


















1891 










1892 










1893 










1894 

1895 . . . 


















1896 

1897 

1898 










81.7 
78.8 

130.8 
135.0 
107.2 
149.9 
134.5 

105.2 
120.8 
141.7 
161.4 
119.6 

120.3 
117.3 
106.1 
111.8 
115.3 

100.9 
107.7 
133.5 
249.2 


















1899 










1900 

1901 


















1902 










1903 










1904 










1905 










1906 










1907 










1908 










1909 










1910 










1911 










1912 










1913 






$2,200 

2.200 
2.200 
2.675 
4.833 




1914 


$35,840 
38.976 
73.248 
97.731 






1915 






1916 






dl917 













a — Basic pig iron. 

d — January-March, 1917. 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 79 

2.— INDEX NUMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF 
LABOR STATISTICS.* 

PUBLICATION. 

"An index number is published in connection with the reports on 
wholesale prices issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United 
States Department of Labor at Washington. These reports are issued 
in bulletin form and appear annually. 

HISTORY. 

"The publication of this index number was begun in 1902. Prior to 
that time the Department of Labor, now the Bureau of Labor Sta- 
tistics, had conducted an inquiry into the course of wholesale prices 
from 1890 to 1899, the results of which were published in March, 1900.^ 
The purpose of this inquiry was to continue, so far as practicable, the 
investigation made for the Senate Committee on Finance for the years 
1840 to 1891 under the direction of Roland P. Falkner, statistician to 
the committee.^ In the report of the Department of Labor alluded 
to, the index numbers appearing in the Senate Finance Committee's 
report were brought down to 1899, important changes with respect to 
the base period and the method of weighting being adopted. In 1902, 
however, when the material for the new report on wholesale prices was 
being assembled, it was found that many articles included in the report 
of the Senate Committee on Finance were either no longer manufac- 
tured or had ceased to be important factors in the market. On the 
other hand, a number of articles not shown in that report had become 
of such importance as to render necessary their inclusion in the new 
report. These facts necessitated the computation of a new series of 
index numbers based on the revised list of commodities. It was found, 
however, that prices of such commodities could be obtained for a period 
dating back to 1890, so that the new series of index numbers, as pub- 
lished in the 1902 report,^ covered the 12 years from 1890 to 1901, in- 
clusive. This series has been continued in subsequent wholesale-price 
reports. 

1 Bulletin of the Department of Labor, No. 27. 

2 Report from the Committee on Finance of the United States Senate on Wholesale Prices, Wages, 
and Transportation. March 3, 1893. 52d Congress, 2d session, Report No. 1394. 

3 Bulletin of the Department of Labor, No. 39, March, 1902. 

* In July, 1915, the U. S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics published a Bulletin (Whole- 
sale Price Series Number 3), entitled Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices in the United States and Foreign 
Countries. Extracts, descriptive of the methods of compiling the various index numbers, have been taken 
from this Bulletin and are reprinted in the following pages. The Index Numbers themselves have been 
brought up to date by additional research and investigation. 



80 WHOLESALE PRICES. 

SOURCE OF QUOTATIONS. 

"The commodities included in the reports have been selected, not only 
with regard to their representative character, but also with regard to 
their availability in the future in the continuation of the price record. 
Standard trade journals, reports of boards of trade, chambers of com- 
merce, produce exchanges, and leading manufacturers or their selling 
agents are the usual sources from which the price quotations are obtained. 
It has been the aim to secure the quotations for the various commodities 
from their primary markets. At present about one-half of the quoted 
prices are those in the New York market. For grains, live stock, etc., 
Chicago prices are quoted; for fish. New York and Boston prices; for 
pig iron, Pittsburgh prices; for tar, "Wilmington, N. C, prices; etc. 
The prices for textiles are those prevailing in the general distributing 
markets, such as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia; and where no 
market is mentioned it should be understood that the prices are for the 
general market.^ 

BASE PERIOD. 

"In the compilation of the bureau's index numbers it was recognized 
that in reducing a series of actual prices to relative prices a base must 
first be chosen that represents, approximately at least, prices when 
business conditions are normal. This may be either a single quota- 
tion, the average price for one year, or the average for two or more 
years. If the price for a single year is chosen, it is essential that the 
year be a normal one, for if prices are high in the year chosen for the 
base any subsequent fall will be unduly magnified, while on the other 
hand, if prices are low any subsequent rise will be unduly magnified. 
For the reason that all commodities probably never present a normal 
condition as regards prices in any one year, it was decided that an 
average price for a number of years would better reflect average con- 
ditions and form a broader and more satisfactory base than would the 
price for any single year. The period chosen as this base was that from 
1890 to 1899 — a period of 10 years. In the cases of a few articles for 
which prices for the entire 10-year period could not be obtained, the 
average for such years prior to 1899 as were available was chosen as 
the base. 

"The relative prices included in the series have been calculated in 
the usual manner and represent the percentage which each monthly 
or yearly price is of the average price for the base period 1890-1899. 
The average price of every article for the base period is represented by 
100, and the relative prices for each month or year show the percentage 
of rise and fall, from month to month or from year to year, of the prices 
of each single commodity, of each group of commodities, and of all 
commodities in terms of the average prices in 1890-1899. * * * * 

1 Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 149, p. 27. 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 81 

NUMBER AND CLASS OF COMMODITIES. 

"In the record of prices from 1890 to 1913, 234 series of quotations 
have been presented for the entire period and an additional 38 for some 
portion of the period. The number of commodities included in the re- 
port for 1913 was 252, classified as follows: Farm products, 20 articles; 
food, etc., 54 articles; cloths and clothing, 63 articles; fuel and light- 
ing, 13 articles; metals and implements, 38 articles; lumber and building 
materials, 28 articles; drugs and chemicals, 9 articles; house-furnishing 
goods, 14 articles; and miscellaneous, 13 articles. It was recognized 
by the bureau that, in the computation of an index number of this 
character, it is important that the greatest care be exercised in the choice 
of commodities, in order that a simple average of their relative prices 
shall show a general price level, and it has been the aim to select only 
important and representative articles in each group. The use of a 
large number of articles, carefully selected, minimizes the effect on the 
general price level of an unusual change in the price of any one article 
or of a few articles. ********** 

The following table contains index numbers of wholesale prices, by 
years, from 1890 to 1917. The average price for the year 1916, is taken 
as the base or 100 in this table instead of the period 1890-1899. 



82 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



INDEX NUMBERS OF WHOLESALE PRICES, BY GROUPS OF COMMODITIES, 
1890 TO SEPTEMBER. 1917. 

[1916=100.] 



1890 
1891 
1892 
1893 
1894 
1895 
1896 
1897 
1898 
1899 
1900 
1901 
1902 
1903 
1904 
1905 
1906 
1907 
1908 
1909 
1910 
1911 
1912 
1913 
1914 
1915 
1916 



1916. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. . . . 

October 

November. . . . 
December. . . . 

1917. 

January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. . . . 













Lum- 


















Metals 


ber 




House 






Farm 




Cloths 


Fuel 


and 


and 


Drugs 


fur- 




All 


prod- 


Food, 


and 


and 


metal 


build- 


and 


nish- 


Miscel- 


com- 


ucts. 


etc. 


cloth- 


light- 


prod- 


mg 


chemi- 


mg 


lane- 


modi- 






ing. 


mg. 


ucts 


mate- 
rials. 


cals. 


goods. 


ous. 


ties. 


56 


70 


73 


59 


77 


71 


63 


109 


76 


66 


60 


70 


71 


59 


68 


69 


65 


108 


76 


66 


54 


63 


70 


56 


63 


66 


64 


106 


73 


61 


55 


69 


70 


56 


57 


67 


63 


106 


75 


63 


48 


60 


62 


52 


48 


65 


58 


105 


71 


56 


49 


58 


61 


59 


52 


64 


62 


99 


68 


57 


44 


53 


59 


59 


54 


62 


64 


97 


66 


54 


48 


56 


60 


52 


48 


61 


62 


90 


67 


54 


50 


60 


62 


53 


48 


64 


65 


96 


66 


56 


50 


59 


65 


61 


73 


70 


67 


95 


68 


60 


56 


62 


70 


70 


71 


75 


68 


101 


75 


65 


59 


63 


65 


68 


66 


72 


69 


112 


74 


64 


66 


67 


66 


80 


66 


76 


68 


112 


76 


69 


62 


64 


70 


92 


65 


79 


67 


111 


78 


69 


66 


68 


70 


79 


60 


80 


68 


106 


78 


70 


53 


68 


72 


75 


66 


84 


67 


99 


78 


69 


64 


66 


77 


78 


76 


93 


66 


99 


80 


72 


70 


70 


82 


81 


81 


96 


67 


99 


84 


76 


69 


74 


75 


78 


63 


91 


70 


95 


80 


74 


79 


78 


78 


76 


62 


96 


71 


96 


90 


79 


84 


79 


79 


72 


63 


100 


72 


94 


96 


81 


76 


78 


76 


70 


60 


100 


72 


90 


86 


77 


82 


85 


78 


77 


67 


98 


71 


90 


84 


82 


82 


79 


79 


87 


67 


99 


70 


91 


83 


81 


85 


81 


78 


80 


59 


96 


72 


94 


81 


80 


86 


83 


78 


75 


65 


93 


80 


92 


81 


81 


too 


100 


100 


100 


100 


100 


100 


100 


100 


100 


89 


90 


87 


88 


85 


98 


98 


95 


89 


89 


89 


90 


89 


89 


89 


99 


101 


95 


88 


90 


91 


91 


92 


90 


95 


100 


103 


95 


91 


92 


93 


93 


94 


91 


99 


100 


105 


99 


92 


94 


95 


94 


96 


90 


102 


101 


107 


99 


95 


96 


95 


94 


97 


91 


101 


100 


105 


99 


100 


96 


96 


96 


99 


91 


98 


98 


100 


101 


101 


97 


103 


101 


100 


92 


98 


99 


92 


101 


103 


100 


107 


106 


103 


96 


100 


99 


92 


101 


105 


103 


HI 


111 


108 


111 


102 


100 


95 


104 


110 


108 


118 


119 


114 


130 


108 


103 


99 


104 


112 


116 


116 


115 


122 


141 


125 


105 


100 


104 


113 


118 


120 


119 


127 


147 


123 


105 


101 


116 


114 


122 


123 


127 


127 


154 


128 


107 


103 


117 


115 


126 


132 


127 


128 


157 


134 


109 


106 


117 


116 


130 


147 


144 


132 


154 


140 


113 


109 


137 


120 


139 


160 


151 


136 


162 


146 


116 


115 


137 


122 


147 


160 


148 


140 


167 


161 


126 


116 


148 


126 


130 


162 


142 


145 


168 


173 


130 


130 


150 


130 


151 


167 


142 


150 


152 


168 


131 


139 


150 


131 


151 


166 


141 


149 


149 


154 


133 


143 


150 


133 


149 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 83 

3.— INDEX NUMBERS OF THE ANNALIST. 

PUBLICATION. 

■ ''The Annalist, a magazine of finance, commerce, and economics, 
published weekly in New York City, has compiled an index number 
based on the wholesale prices of 25 food commodities in the United 
States. These articles are so selected as to represent a theoretical 
family food budget. 

HISTORY. 

"The publication of this index number began with the first issue of 
the Annalist on January 20, 1913, and has been continued weekly since 
that date in connection with the exhibit of various other items of busi- 
ness activity appearing under the caption of 'Barometrics.' 

SOURCE OF QUOTATIONS. 

"The prices used in the computation of the index number are those 
prevailing in the New York and Chicago markets. 

BASE PERIOD. 

"The 10 years, 1890-1899, constitute the base period used in com- 
puting the index number. 

PRICES: HOW SHOWN AND COMPUTED. 

"During the period from May 19 to September 1, 1913, the Annalist 
published in each week's issue the mean price of each selected com- 
modity during the preceding week, together with the relation of such 
price to the price for the base period, 1890-1899. The sum of these 
relative prices, divided by 25 (the number of commodities), constitutes 
the index number for the week. In all other issues of the Annalist up 
to date no exhibit of wholesale prices is made in connection with the 
presentation of the index number. 

NUMBER AND CLASS OF COMMODITIES. 

"As previously stated, 25 articles of food are included in the index. 
These are listed in the Annalist of May 19, 1913, and in subsequent 
numbers to September 1, of the same year, as follows: 

Steers. 

Hogs. 

Sheep. 

Beef, fresh. 

Mutton, dressed. 

Beef, salt. 



Pork, salt. 

Bacon. 

Codfish, salt. 

Lard. 

Potatoes. 

Beans. 

Flour, rye. 



Flour, wheat, spring. 

Flour, wheat, winter. 

Corn meal. 

Rice. 

Oats. 

Apples, evaporated. 

Prunes. 

Butter, creamery. 

Butter, dairy. 

Cheese. 

Coffee. 

Sugar, granulated. 



84 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 
DESCRIPTION AND GROUPING OF COMMODITIES. 



"The following description of the commodities included in the index 
number has been supplied by the publishers of the Annalist: 



NEW YORK MARKETS. 



Codfish (Georges), corn meal, rice, beans, evaporated apples, Cali- 
fornia prunes, extra creamery butter. New York State dairy butter, 
cheese (New York State, whole milk, held). No. 7 Rio coffee, fine granu- 
lated sugar, fresh beef, dressed mutton, salt beef, salt pork, wheat flour 
(winter straights and spring patents). Middle West lard, and rye flour. 



CHICAGO MARKETS. 

Good to choice steers, hogs (250-300 pound packers and fair to 
select butcher's), sheep (good to choice wethers), bacon (short, clear 
sides), white potatoes, and cash oats (2 white, 3 white, and standards). 



WEIGHTING. 

"The index number is unweighted and is obtained by computing the 
simple arithmetic mean of the relative prices of the different com- 
modities." 

TABLE OF RESULTS. 

The course of the index number by years from 1890 to 1917 is shown 
in the following statement. 



INDEX NUMBERS, BY YEARS, 1890-1917. 
[Base period, 1890-1899=100.] 
Yearly. 



Year. 


Index 
number. 


Year. 


Index 
number. 


Year. 


Index 
number. 


1890 


109.252 

119.488 

108.624 

116.100 

102.076 

94.604 

80.096 

84.092 

92.208 


1899 


93.348 
99.388 
104.656 
116.264 
107.516 
108.664 
110.652 
114.364 
117.940 


1908 


125.756 
133.952 
137.172 
131.068 
143.254 
139.980 
146.069 
148.055 
175.720 
260.285 


1891 


1900 


1909 


1892 


1901 


1910 


1893 


1902 


1911 


1894 


1903 


1912 


1895 


1904 


1913 


1896 


1905 


1914 


1897 


1906 


1915 


1898 


1907 


1916 






1917 (to Dec. 10).... 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 85 

4.— INDEX NUMBERS OF BRADSTREET'S. 

PUBLICATION. 

"This ' index '^ represents the record of wholesale prices of staple 
articles in the primary markets of the United States and is now pub- 
lished every month. Formerly it was issued only every quarter. 

HISTORY. 

" Bradstreet's index had its beginning in the issue of September 21, 
1895, of the periodical of that name, which presented a table of com- 
parative prices of 110 staple articles for each quarter from October 1, 
1890, to July 1, 1895, under the heading, 'Five years' prices for 110 
staple products.' 

"The compiler evidently had in mind a record of price movements in 
the United States similar to that furnished by Sauerbeck's index of 
English prices, as he refers to it in the introductory paragraph as follows: 

"The comparative prices continued to be presented on the first of 
each quarter until May 8, 1897, when in connection with *A study of 
prices' an index number was published for the first time. 

"The index as constructed was simply the sum obtained by adding the 
per pound prices of the different articles included. At first it was not 
expressed in dollars and cents, but as an abstract number. No attempt 
was made at weighting, nor was consumption taken into account, so 
that the result was 'not an absolute indication of the price movement 
based on the proportions in which each of the products and articles are 
used, but a fair indication of the tendency.' The author stated that 
only 97 articles were included in the index, but as actual prices were 
shown for 108 articles and only 10 articles were stated to be excluded 
it would appear that the index comprised 98 articles. 

"In the issue of June 11, 1898, actual prices were shown for 107 
articles, quotations for onions being dropped, and the index number was 
revised to exclude the price of quicksilver. ******** 

"Again on September 10, 1898, the index appeared with revised 
figures. This revision was due to the quotation of a different grade of 

"In- the issue of October 12, 1901, the first group indexes were shown 
and consisted of the sum of the per pound prices for all of the articles 
included in the group. The sum of the 13 groups was the index shown 
for all commodities. The general index was expressed in dollars and 
cents and continued to be stated this way until April 9, 1904, when it 
was restated in dollars, cents, and fractions thereof. This was not a 
revision of the index, but simply a change in the method of pointing off. 
The index numbers for the groups had been expressed in this way for 
some time before this date. The index now began with January 1, 1892, 
instead of October 1, 1890, as formerly, and was computed upon the 
basis of the revision of September, 1898, until December 16, 1905, when 
a general index 'revised to exclude some staples showing wide fluctua- 



86 WHOLESALE PRICES. 

tions' in price was published. It is not stated in connection with these 
figures what articles were excluded or on how many commodities the 
revised index number was based. The exhibit as published contained 
the index number by quarters from January 1, 1892, to October 1, 1898, 
and by months from January 1, 1899, to December 1, 1905, inclusive. 
No further revision of the index number appears to have been made. 

SOURCE OF QUOTATIONS. 

"The source of these quotations is not disclosed, but it is stated that 
they are from primary markets. 

BASE PERIOD. 

"No base period was selected in the compilation of the index num- 
ber, the need of such being obviated by the method employed, which 
consists simply in adding together the prices per pound of the various 
selected articles at the date named. 

PRICES: HOW SHOWN AND COMPUTED. 

"Prices are published each month for a selected list of representative 
commodities. These prices are shown for the first day of the current 
month and, for purpose of comparison, the first day of several preceding 
months and the first day of the corresponding month in the preceding 
year. No range of quotations is shown in any case, and it is evident 
that a single price has been used, but whether either extreme or the mean 
was taken it is impossible to determine with the source of quotations 
unknown. No yearly average actual prices are published. ***** 

NUMBER AND CLASS OF COMMODITIES. 

"In the beginning 110 articles v/ere shown in the comparative table 
of actual prices, but now only 106 are included, and of these only 96 
are included in the index. Oranges, naphtha, onions, and aluminum 
were the articles dropped from the table of comparative prices, but 
the reason for their discontinuance is not given. Two of these, onions 
and aluminum, were never included in the compilation of the index. 
Two articles that at first were included in the index are no longer in- 
cluded — namely, quicksilver and rubber — but these are still shown in 
the table of actual prices. When these articles were dropped the index 
was recomputed from that date to the beginning, necessitating a new 
index figure for every previous date. The list of articles includes both 
raw and manufactured commodities that are of general consumption 
in the United States. 

DESCRIPTION AND GROUPING OF COMMODITIES. 

"The articles on which the index is based are divided into 13 general 
groups, as follows: Breadstuffs, live stock, provisions and groceries, 
fresh and dried fruits, hides and leather, raw and manufactured textiles, 
metals, coal and coke, mineral and vegetable oils, naval stores, building 
materials, chemicals and drugs, and miscellaneous. Since October 12, 
1901, an index has been computed usually for each of the different groups 
separately. The sum of the indexes for the 13 groups is the index for 
the whole number of articles. Index numbers for years are computed 
by averaging the 12 monthly totals. ******** 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



87 



WEIGHTING. 

"Apart from the basic plan of expressing In terms of dollars and cents 
the value of 1 pound avoirdupois of each commodity, there is no attempt 
at assigning varying degrees of importance to the different articles In- 
cluded In the index. 

"For some years past a yearly index has been computed by averaging 
the 12 monthly indexes. The manner of presenting this Imformatlon is 
shown by the following table, which is reproduced from Bradstreet's of 
January 6, 1917 : 



1916 $11.8251 

1915 9.8530 

1914 8.9034 

1913. 9.2076 

1912 9.1867 

1911 8.7132 

1910 8.9881 

1909 8.5153 

1908 8.0094 

1907 8.9045 

1906 8.4176 

1905 8.0987 

1904 7.9187 



1903 $7.9364 

1902 7.8759 

1901 7.5746 

1900 7.8839 

1899 7.2100 

1898 6.5713 

1897 6.1159 

1896 5.9124 

1895 6.4346 

1894 6.6846 

1893 7.5324 

1892 7.7769 



Ten-year average, 1902-1911, inclusVe, $8.3377. 
Ten-year average, 1892-1901, Inclusive, $6.9696. 

The index numbers computed from the wholesale prices of 96 articles 
on the first day of each month from January, 1903, to December, 1917, 
inclusive, are shown in the subjoined table. 



BRADSTREET'S INDEX NUMBERS, JANUARY, 1903, TO DECEMBER, 1917, INCLUSIVE. 











I 


idex number: Fiist of each month. 






I 


Year 


1 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


1903. 


S8.0789 


S8.0824 


S8.1300 


S8.1247 


S7.9567 


S7.8751 


$7.8706 


S7.7473 


S7.7583 


$7.9083 


S7.8671 


S7.8383 


1904. 


7.9885 


8.0973 


8.0882 


7.9690 


7.9352 


7.9877 


7.6318 


7.7623 


7.7845 


7.9213 


8.0015 


8.0579 


1905. 


8.0827 


8.0805 


8.0979 


7.9996 


7.9700 


7.9073 


7.9160 


8.1111 


8.2795 


8.2298 


8.2097 


8.3014 


1906. 


8.3289 


8.2415 


8.2321 


8.2987 


8.3054 


8.3203 


8.2835 


8.3376 


8.4528 


8.5580 


8.7509 


8.9023 


1907. 


8.9172 


8.9953 


8.1293 


8.9640 


8.9356 


8.9901 


9.0409 


8.9304 


8.8297 


8.8506 


8.7468 


8.5246 


1908. 


8.2949 


8.1289 


7.9862 


8.0650 


7.9629 


7.7227 


7.8224 


7.9328 


7.9051 


8.0139 


8.0674 


8.2133 


1909. 


8.2631 


8.3022 


8.2167 


8.3157 


8.3016 


8.3960 


8.4573 


8.5039 


8.5906 


8.7478 


8.9635 


9.1262 


1910. 


9.2310 


9.0730 


9.1113 


9.1996 


9.0385 


8.9105 


8.9246 


8.8222 


8.9519 


8.9267 


8.8841 


8.7844 


1911. 


8.8361 


8.7662 


8.6929 


8.5223 


8.4586 


8.5294 


8.5935 


8.6568 


8.8191 


8.8065 


8.8922 


8.9824 


1912. 


8.9493 


8.9578 


8.9019 


9.0978 


9.2696 


9.1017 


9.1119 


9.1595 


9.2157 


9.4515 


9.4781 


9.5462 


1913. 


9.4935 


9.4592 


9.4052 


9.2976 


9.1394 


9.0721 


8.9521 


9.0115 


9.1006 


9.1526 


9.2252 


9.2290 


1914. 


8.8857 


8.8619 


8.8320 


8.7562 


8.6224 


8.6220 


8.6566 


8.7087 


9.7572 


9.2416 


8.8620 


9.0354 


1915. 


9.1431 


9.6621 


9.6197 


9.7753 


9.7978 


9.7428 


9.8698 


9.9213 


9.8034 


9.9774 


10.3768 


10.6473 


1916. 


10.9163 


11.1415 


11.3760 


11.7598 


11.7485 


11.6887 


11.5294 


11.4414 


11.7803 


12.0399 


12.7992 


13.6805 


1917. 


13.7277 


13.9427 


14.1360 


14.5769 


15.1203 


15.4680 


16.0680 


16.3985 


16.6441 


16.9135 


17.1701 


17.8113 



The following statement shows by groups of commodities the " Index 
Number" on the first day of January, November, and December, 1915 
and 1916, and the first day of January, 1917. 



88 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



Jan. 1, 


Nov. 1, 


Dec. 1, 


Jan. 1, 


1915. 


1915. 


1915. 


1916. 


$0.1193 


$0.1057 


$0.1089 


$0.1169 


.4170 


.4230 


.4085 


.4120 


2.4075 


2.3312 


2.3992 


2.4051 


.1614 


.2520 


.2545 


.2537 


1.4600 


1.5800 


1.5925 


1.5900 


2.1729 


2.5273 


2.6033 


2.7074 


.5807 


.6749 


.7446 


.8449 


.0065 


.0071 


.0071 


.0083 


.3632 


.3982 


. 4256 


.4702 


.0736 


.0867 


.0962 


.0946 


.0821 


.0840 


.0894 


.0930 


1.0379 


1 . 6320 


1.6469 


1.6519 


.2610 


.2747 


.2706 


.2683 


9.1431 


10.3768 


10.6473 


10.9163 



Breadstuff s 

Live stock 

Provisions 

Fruits 

Hides and leather. , . 

Textiles 

Metals 

Coal and coke 

Oils 

Naval stores 

Building materials. . 
Chemicals and drugs 
Miscellaneous , 

Total 



Breadstuff s 

Live stock 

Provisions 

Fruits 

Hides and leather. . . 

Textiles 

Metals 

Coal and coke 

Oils 

Naval stores 

Building material. . . 
Chemicals and drugs 
Miscellaneous 

Total 



Jan. 1, 


Nov. 1, 


Dec. 1, 


Jan. 1, 


1916. 


1916. 


1916. 


1917. 


$0.1169 


$0.1632 


$0.1607 


$0.1648 


.4120 


.4970 


.5030 


.5165 


2.4051 


2.9491 


3.0684 


3.0826 


.2537 


.3727 


.3447 


.3002 


1.5900 


2.1650 


2.5650 


2.6250 


2.7074 


3.4107 


3.6236 


3.6581 


. 8449 


• .9248 


1.0331 


.9855 


.0083 


.0124 


.0125 


.0137 


.4702 


.5518 


.5620 


.5978 


.0946 


.0843 


.0917 


.0956 


.0930 


.1045 


.1163 


.1165 


1.6519 


1.2116 


1.2166 


1.1941 


.2683 


.3521 


.3652 


.3773 


10.9163 


12.7992 


13.6628 


13.7277 



5.— INDEX NUMBERS OF DUN. 

PUBLICATION. 

"An 'index' number based on the wholesale prices of a large num- 
ber of representative commodities in general use in the United States 
is published by the mercantile agency of R. G. Dun & Co., of New 
York City. The information appears monthly in Dun's Review, the 
weekly journal of finance and trade issued by the above-named company. 



HISTORY. 

"The publication of this index number was begun in 1901 and covered 
a period of time extending back to 1860. From 1901 to 1907 periodical 
presentation of the index in Dun's Review appears to have been made. 
With the issue of May 11, 1907, however, its publication was discon- 
tinued and apparently was not resumed until May 9, 1914. The issue 
of the latter date contained data for the first five months of the years 
1912, 1913, and 1914, respectively, but no attempt was made in this 
number to supply figures for all of the period intervening since 1907. 
Data for other months of 1912, 1913, and 1914 are shown in subsequent 
issues; and in Dun's Review of January 9, 1915, a presentation is made 
of the index number on the first of each month for the entire period from 
1907 to 1914, inclusive, thus furnishing a continuous series since the in- 
ception of the undertaking. 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 89 

SOURCE OF QUOTATIONS. 

"The price quotations on which the index number is based are those 
gathered by Dun & Co. in the principal markets of the country, New 
York and Chicago prices predominating. 

BASE PERIOD. 

"Under the method followed in the computation of the index num- 
ber no base period is employed, the index in the case of each article and 
group being the actual amount in dollars and cents required to purchase 
a year's supply for a single individual at the date named. 

PRICES: HOW SHOWN AND COMPUTED. 

"With regard to the method of calculation, the following statement is 
reproduced from Dun's Review of May 9, 1914: 

"'Quotations of all the necessaries of life are taken and in each case 
the price is multiplied by the annual per capita consumption, which pre- 
cludes any one commodity having more than its proper weight in the 
aggregate. Thus, wide fluctuations in the price of an article little used 
do not materially affect the 'index,' but changes in the great staples 
have a large influence in advancing or depressing the total. * * * The 
per capita consumption used to multiply each of many hundreds of com- 
modities does not change. There appears to be much confusion on this 
point, but it should be seen at a glance that there would be no accurate 
record of the course of prices if the ratio of consumption changed. It was 
possible, however, to obtain figures sufficiently accurate to give each 
commodity its proper importance in the compilation. This was done by 
taking averages for a period of years when business conditions were 
normal and every available trade record was utilized, in addition to 
official statistics of agriculture, foreign commerce, and census returns of 
manufactures.' 

NUMBER AND CLASS OF COMMODITIES. 

"The following excerpt from the same source shows what commodities 
are included : 

"For convenience of comparison and economy of space the prices are 
grouped into seven classes: Breadstufifs include quotations of wheat, 
corn, oats, rye, barley, beans, and peas; meats include live hogs, beef, 
sheep, and many provisions, lard, tallow, etc.; dairy and garden products 
embrace eggs, vegetables, fruits, milk, butter, cheese, etc.; other foods 
include fish, liquors, condiments, sugar, rice, also tobacco, etc.; clothing 
covers the raw material of each industry, as well as quotations for woolen, 
cotton, silk, and rubber goods, also hides, leather and boots and shoes; 
metals include various quotations for pig iron and partially manu- 
factured and finished products, as well as the minor metals, tin, lead, 
copper, etc., and coal and petroleum; miscellaneous includes many 
grades of hard and soft lumber, lath, brick, lime, glass, turpentine, hemp, 
linseed oil, paints, fertilizers, and drugs. 

"The precise number of articles included in the index is not stated; 
but in Dun's Review of January 9, 1915, it is said that 'about 200 
products are taken.' 



90 WHOLESALE PRICES. 

DESCRIPTION AND GROUPING OF COMMODITIES. 

"As previously stated, the commodities are divided into seven groups: 
viz., breadstuffs, meats, dairy and garden products, other foods, cloth- 
ing, metals, and miscellaneous articles. No further description of the 
articles entering into the index is given." ********** 

TABLE OF RESULTS. 

The following statistics, showing the trend of wholesale prices from 
January 1, 1860, to December 1, 1917, have been compiled from Dun's 
Review. 

WHOLESALE PRICES OF SPECIFIED COMMODITIES, JAN 1. 1860, TO DEC. 1, 1914. 



Date. 


Bread- 
stuffs. 


Meats. 


Dairy 

and 
garden 
prod- 
ucts. 


Other 
foods. 


Cloth- 
ing. 


Metals. 


xMiscella- 
neous. 


Total. 


1860, Jan. 
1864, Sept 
1870, Jan. 
1875, Jan.. 
1880, Jan. 
1885, Jan. 

1888, Jan. 

1889, Jan. 

1890, Jan. 

1891, Tan. 

1892, Jan. 

1893, Jan. 

1894, Jan. 

1895, Jan. 

1896, Jan. 

1897, Jan. 

1897, July 

1898, Jan. 

1899, Jan. 

1900, Jan. 

1901, Jan. 

1902, Jan. 

1903, Jan. 

1904, Jan. 

1905, Jan. 

1906, Jan. 

1907, Jan. 
Feb. 
Mar. 
Apr. 
May 
June 

July 

AUR. 

Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 

1908, Jan. 
Feb. 

Mar. 
Apr. 
May 
June 




$23,652 
46.138 
29.076 
26.048 
22.955 
16.342 
18.565 
18.195 

13.765 
19.725 
17.700 
15.750 
13.530 
14.311 
11.380 
11.729 

10.587 
13.511 
13.816 
13.254 
14.486 
20.002 
17.104 
17.102 

18.278 
16.554 
16.079 
16.389 
17.478 
16.982 
18.165 
20.089 

20.306 
19.872 
22.483 
22.940 
21.987 
21.290 
22.254 
21.120 

21.480 
22.032 
22.882 
23.163 


$10,084 
17.789 
15.255 
11.932 
9.206 
9.432 
8.920 
8.705 

7.620 
7.810 
7.895 
9.315 
8 . 655 

8 . 359 
7.540 
7.327 

7 . 529 
7.336 
7.520 
7.258 
8.407 
9.670 
9.522 
8.138 

7.950 
8.426 

9 . 350 
9.693 
9.673 
9.629 
9.641 
9.982 

10.196 
10.090 
10.150 
9.667 
9.229 
8.929 
8.146 
8.246 

8.546 
9.221 
9.777 
9.620 


$14,169 
29.426 
21.178 
17.832 
14.007 
14.304 
15.030 
14.670 

12.675 
16.270 
13.180 
15.290 
13.945 
12.196 
10.969 
10.456 

8.714 
12.371 
11.458 
13.702 
15.556 
15.248 
14.613 
15.287 

13.948 
14.399 
14.965 
14.411 
15.727 
14.792 
14.461 
15.417 

14.767 
15.458 
15.019 
15.646 
15.840 
17.169 
17.380 
15.643 

15.904 
14.369 
14.303 
13.114 


$ 8.978 
29.562 
16.240 
14.546 
11.873 
8.996 
10.340 
10.480 

9.935 
10.215 
9.185 
9.595 
8 . 945 
8.607 
8.898 
8.170 

7.887 
8.312 
9.096 
9.200 
9.504 
8.952 
9.418 
9.653 

10.699 
9.822 
9.760 
9.804 
9.767 
9.817 
9.824 

10.100 

10.013 
10.041 
10.180 
10.446 
9.629 
10.152 
10.236 
10.384 

10.354 
10.501 
10.397 
10.314 


$22,094 
91.667 
32.986 
25.718 
22.673 
18.081 
15.140 
15.170 

14.845 
14.135 
13.430 
13.900 
12.880 
1 1 . 886 
12.787 
12.407 

13.8C8 
14.654 
14.150 
17.484 
16.024 
15.547 
15.938 
17.316 

16.319 
19.313 
19.637 
19.798 
20.000 
19.997 
20.098 
20.252 

20.355 
20.281 
20.529 
20.169 
19.933 
19.389 
18.849 
18.313 

17.731 
17.200 
16.804 
16.919 


$26,082 
61.964 
27.682 
22.833 
25.002 
15.065 
17.330 
17.360 

16.240 
15.875 
14.665 
15.985 
14.565 
12.026 
12.803 
13.014 

11.642 

11.572 
11.843 
18.085 
15.810 
15.375 
17.185 
15.887 

16.188 
17.141 
18.087 
18.162 
18.135 
17.372 
17.524 
17.689 

17.688 
17.667 
17.626 
17.296 
17.179 
16.937 
17.232 
16.944 

17.122 
17.176 
16.872 
16.659 


$16,572 
36.191 
23.056 
18.669 
16.963 
14.245 
14.577 
14.496 

15.111 
14.217 
23.767 
14.320 
13.512 
13.607 
13.403 
12.399 

12.288 
12.184 
12.540 
16.312 
15.881 
16.793 
16.576 
16.759 

16.936 
18.809 
1 9 . 386 
19.109 
19.133 
19.305 
19.242 
20.125 

20.335 
20.319 
20.086 
19.976 
19.836 
19.406 
19.185 
19.264 

19.252 
18.229 
19.150 
18.198 


$121,631 

312.737 

165.473 

137.578 

122.679 

96.465 

99 . 902 

99.076 

90.191 
98.247 
89.822 
94.155 
86.032 
80.992 
77.780 
75.502 

72.455 

79.940 

80.423 

95.295 

95 . 668 

101.587 

100.356 

100.142 

100.318 
104.464 
107.264 
107.366 
109.913 
107.895 
108.955 
113.654 

113.660 
113.728 
116.073 
116.140 
113.633 
113.272 
113.282 
109.910 

110.389 
108.728 
110.185 
107.987 




























1 (low) .... 











1 The issue of May 9, 1914, contains the statement that "Dun's index number does not propose to shov.' 
the cost of living, because wholesale prices are taken and all luxuries omitted. Its economic value lies in 
showing the percentage of advance or decline from month to month." 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



91 



WHOLESALE PRICES OF SPECIFIED COMMODITIES, JAN. 1, 1860. TO DEC. 1, 1914- 

Continued. 



Date. 



Bread- 
stuffs. 



Meats. 



Dairy 

and 
garden 
prod- 
ucts. 



Other 
foods. 



Cloth- 
ing. 



Metals. 



Miscella- 
neous. 



Total. 


s15l08 


174 


109 


495 


109 


331 


109 


991 


109 


914 


111 


008 


111 


848 


113 


454 


115 


420 


116 


864 


118 


263 


121 


025 


119 


021 


118 


020 


116 


961 


118 


301 


120 


770 


123 


414 


123 


434 


122 


399 


122 


840 


121 


555 


118 


307 


117 


241 


119 


168 


118 


524 


117 


431 


115 


449 


114 


623 


114 


664 


115 


102 


114 


252 


112 


288 


110 


928 


114 


259 


113 


373 


118 


130 


119 


775 


119 


332 


119 


292 


121 


970 


122 


922 


123 


438 


125 


425 


123 


527 


128 


049 


128 


986 


125 


988 


122 


277 


123 


892 


122 


545 


123 


106 


123 


525 


122 


054 


120 


832 


119 


728 


120 


461 


119 


217 


118 


324 


120 


050 


116 


319 


118 


515 


122 


053 


123 


902 


125 


503 


125 


734 



1908, July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 

1909, Jan. 
Feb. 

Mar. 
Apr. 
May 
June 
July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 

Nov. 
Dec. 

1910, Jan. 
Feb. 
Mar. 
Apr. 
May 
June 

July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 

1911, Jan. 
Feb. 

Mar. 
Apr. 
May 
June 
July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 

Nov. 
Dec. 

1912, Jan. 
Feb. 

Mar. 
Apr. 
May 
June 

July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 

1913, Jan. 
Feb. 

Mar. 
Apr. 
May 
June 
July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 



$22,826 
24.161 
24.176 
23.990 
23.579 
21.879 
21.480 
22.900 

23.967 
24.129 
25.696 
26.781 

25.854 
23.705 
22.002 
21.530 

21.638 
22.315 
23.830 
23 . 509 
23.423 
22.172 
20.992 
20.590 

21.690 
21.863 
20.263 
19.120 
18.830 
18.567 
, 18.010 
' 18.175 

17.762 
18.176 
19.973 
20.508 
21.283 
21.695 
22.145 
23.828 

24.864 
23.125 
23.523 
24.278 
24.718 
25.590 
27.637 
27.391 

25.964 
25.760 
24.088 
21.765 
22.371 
20.665 
19.883 
19.565 

19.596 
19.966 
20.673 
21.277 
21.192 
21.632 
22.975 
22.586 
22.610 
23.006 



$10,197 
9.992 
9.488 
9 . 534 
9.175 
9.135 
9.142 
10.277 

8.860 
9.247 
9.022 
9 . 498 
9.955 
9.617 
9.540 
9.450 

9.351 
9.546 
9.642 
9.683 
10.786 
12.359 
11.542 
11.692 

11.406 
11.080 
11.029 
10.370 
9.897 
9.788 
9 . 483 
9.963 

10.146 
9.742 
9.363 
9.638 
9.414 
9.900 

10.080 
9.612 

9.218 
8.924 
8.920 
9.173 
9.514 
10.590 
11.283 
11.016 

10.715 
10.848 
11.186 
10.923 
10.457 
10.629 
10.912 
11.522 

13.047 
13.478 
13.183 
12.963 
13.090 
13.080 
12.786 
13.053 
12.211 
12.059 



$12,552 
13.357 
13.924 
14.620 
15.016 
17.019 
18.104 
15.645 

15.212 
16.142 
15.705 
16.053 
15.268 
15.767 
16.014 
16.265 

17.508 
19.164 
18.906 
17. .564 
16.927 
15.237 
14.321 
14.325 

14.663 
15.457 
15.738 
16.234 
16.810 
18.013 
18.073 
16.468 

14.588 
13.634 
14.759 
14.701 
17.473 
19.248 
18.001 
16.501 

19.190 

22.177 
21.286 
21.898 
19.364 
21.774 
20.776 
18.087 

15.501 
16.752 
16.491 
18.627 
19.416 
19.223 
17.925 
16.651 

16.142 
15.319 
15.112 
16.525 
13.039 
14.916 
16.604 
17.934 
19.978 
20.454 



$10,465 
10 . 349 
10.090 
10.090 
10.314 
10.428 
10.396 
10.506 

10.417 
10.680 
10.620 
10.650 
10.628 
10.810 
10.740 
10.975 

11.073 
11.052 
10.803 
10.810 
10.906 
10.778 
10.515 
10.549 

10.556 
10.830 
11.037 
11.038 
10.866 
10.509 
11.196 
11.258 

11.018 
11.078 
11.283 
10.981 
11.384 
11.604 
12.055 
12.339 

12.597 
12.610 
12.261 
12.237 
12.222 
12.323 
11.753 
11.976 

11.828 
11.705 
11.590 
11.757 
11.103 
11.112 
11.073 
10.877 

10.732 
10.165 
10.120 
10.250 
10.213 
10.267 
10.571 
10.700 
11.068 
11.010 



$17,233 
17.348 
17.325 
17.226 
17.308 
17.828 
18.024 
18.277 

18.893 
18.633 
19.078 
19.587 
20.062 
20.924 
21.061 
21.528 

22.145 
22.1.30 
20.635 
21.671 
21.785 
22.061 
22.194 
21.281 

21.173 
20.508 
20.556 
19.932 
19.896 
20.042 
19.644 
19.596 

19.789 
19.355 
20.021 
18.845 
19.324 
18.778 
18.509 
18.638 

18.191 
18.191 
18.630 
19.048 
19.493 
19.868 
19.979 
20.003 

20.449 
20.588 
20.703 
20.705 
20.789 
21.066 
21.015 
20.835 

21.143 
20.938 
20.807 
20.705 
20.534 
20.250 
20.507 
20.947 
21.074 
20.815 



$16,542 
16.537 
16.720 
16.821 
16.788 
16.920 
16.919 
16.935 

16.652 
16.388 
16.353 
16.453 
16.426 
16.615 
16.948 
17.200 

17.304 
17.437 
17.496 
17.419 
17.265 
17.132 
16.937 
16.894 

16.744 
16.587 
16.652 
16.574 
16.144 
16.092 
16.519 
16.591 

16.742 
16.718 
16.694 
16.617 
16.583 
16.526 
16.502 
16.307 

16.294 
16.361 
16.371 
16.356 
15.961 
15.550 
15.918 
16.104 

16.349 
16.664 
17.022 
17.633 
18.029 
18.046 
17.942 
17.850 

17.379 
16.924 
16.753 
16.760 
16.512 
16.528 
16.742 
16.760 
16.758 
16.596 



$18,359 
17.751 
17.608 
17.710 
17.734 
17.781 
17.783 
18.914 

21.419 
21.635 
21.789 
22.003 
20.828 
20.582 
20.656 
21.362 

21.751 
21.770 
22.122 
21.743 
21.748 
21.816 
21.806 
21.910 

22.936 
22.171 
22.156 
22.181 
22.180 
21.653 
22.177 
22.201 

22.243 
22.225 
22.166 
22.083 
22.669 
22.024 
22.040 
22.067 

21.616 

21.534 
22.437 
22.435 
22.255 
22.354 
21.640 
21.411 

21.471 
21.575 
21.465 
21.696 
21.360 
21.313 
22.082 
22.428 

22.422 
22.427 
21.676 
21.570 
21.739 
21.842 
21.868 
21.922 
21.804 
21.794 



92 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



WHOLESALE PRICES OF SPECIFIED COMMODITIES, JAN. I, 1860, TO DEC. I, 1914- 

Concluded. 



Date. 



1914, Jan. 
Feb. 

Mar. 
Apr. 
May- 
June 

July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 

1915, Jan. 
. Feb. 

Mar. 
Apr. 
May 
June 
July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 

1916, Jan. 
Feb. 
Mar. 
Apr. . 
May 
June 
July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 

1917, Jan. 
Feb. 
Mar. 
Apr. 
May 
June 
July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 



Bread- 
stuffs. 



$21,961 
20.962 
22.146 
21.402 
21.544 
23.162 

21.086 
22.567 
26.253 
24.441 
25.300 
24.426 

25.891 
29.052 
28.606 
28.867 
29.807 
28.357 
26.467 
25.999 
24.978 
23.540 
24.024 
25.164 

27.318 
28.781 
26.278 
26.703 
26.773 
25.631 
26.378 
28.660 
31.061 
31.821 
36.772 
36 . 090 

36.152 
37.865 
40.955 
43.813 
55.360 
53.504 
53.918 
64.071 
54.688 
55.518 
55.680 
53.996 



Meats. 



$12,150 
12.625 
13.168 
12.868 
12.813 
13.068 

12.979 
13.427 
12.839 
12.093 
11.907 
11.324 

10.705 
10.601 
10.731 
11.072 
1 1 . 668 
12.513 
12.134 
11.388 
11.440 
11.469 
11.392 
10.551 

11.494 
12.233 
13.222 
14.166 
14.611 
15.045 
14.400 
13.655 
14.690 
13.691 
14.238 
14.248 

15.020 
16.124 
17.031 
18.894 
19.385 
19.810 
18.824 
17.746 
19.355 
19.127 
18.168 
19.008 



Dairy 
and 
garden 
prod- 
ucts. 



$20,087 
18.056 
16.009 
15.872 
16.437 
16.114 

17.244 
16.201 
17.432 
17.326 
18.586 
19.825 

19.289 
17.464 
15.580 
15.585 
15.464 
15.132 
15.563 
16.030 
16.256 
18.769 
20.616 
20.971 

20.509 
20.400 
20.812 
21.256 
20.633 
19.267 
19.435 
17.366 
21.541 
20.702 
24.273 
25.403 

25.167 
27.372 
31.509 
29.301 
30.722 
33 . 606 
26.449 
21.247 
22.751 
25.802 
25.886 
27.021 



Other 
foods. 



$10,950 
11.002 
11.361 
10.684 
10.467 
10.610 

10.449 
10.284 
11.729 
11.423 
10.880 
10.548 

10.602 
10.478 
10.822 
10.761 
10.705 
10.597 
10.724 
10.970 
10.850 
10.717 
10.956 
11.224 

11.212 
11.401 
11.527 
11.932 
12.070 
12.231 
12.156 
12.016 
11.962 
12.616 
13.021 
12.923 

12.928 
12.988 
13.166 
13.289 
13.717 
13.865 
14.225 
15.213 
15.552 
16.086 
18.720 
18.767 



Cloth- 
ing. 



$20,664 
20.241 
20.434 
20.641 
19.969 
20.686 

20.834 
20.975 
20.398 
20.259 
19.970 
19.883 

19.724 
20.117 
20.221 
20.480 
20.786 
20.748 
20.902 
21.400 
21.462 
21.926 
22.325 
22.808 

23.420 
23.601 
23.783 
24.947 
25.139 
25.392 
25.800 
25.899 
26.516 
26.826 
29.099 
30.234 

30.082 
30.380 
30.389 
30.678 
32.081 
33.025 
36.527 
36.917 
38.615 
39.436 
40.444 
40.745 



Metals. 



$16,170 
16.185 
15.881 
15.784 
15.559 
15.695 

15.691 
15.764 
16.126 
15.974 
15.849 
16.134 

16.163 
16.296 
16.343 
15.942 
15.834 
16.138 
16.607 
16.616 
16.956 
17.065 
17.276 
18.328 

18.893 
19.819 
20.387 
20.643 
20.889 
21.656 
21.174 
21.057 
21.224 
21,326 
21.798 
23.390 

24.451 
25.029 
25.977 
26.683 
28.443 
29.888 
32.390 
32.575 
32.657 
31. U9 
29.843 
28.413 



Miscella- 
neous. 



$22,546 
22.570 
22.772 
22.540 
21.441 
21.761 

21.425 
21.522 
22.198 
22.015 
21.848 
22.043 

21.794 
21.654 
21.855 
22.383 
22.385 
22.507 
22.561 
22.676 
22.742 
23.177 
23.878 
24.100 

24.820 
26.025 
26.101 
26.043 
26.082 
26.175 
25.799 
25.277 
25.024 
25.373 
25.639 
25.802 

25.762 
26.515 
27.217 
27.354 
28.727 
28.887 
29.617 
31.010 
31.392 
32.551 
32.009 
32.222 



Total. 



$124,528 
121.641 
121.771 
119.791 
118.230 
121.096 

119.708 
120.740 
126.975 
123.531 
124.340 
124.183 

124.168 
125.662 
124.158 
125.090 
126.649 
125.992 
124.958 
125.079 
124.684 
126.663 
130.467 
133.146 

137.666 
142.260 
142.110 
145.690 
146.197 
145.397 
145.142 
143.930 
152.018 
152.355 
164.840 
168.090 

169 562 
176 273 
186.244 
190.012 
208.435 
212.585 
211.950 
218.779 
215.010 
219.679 
220.750 
220.172 



Note. — Breadstuffs include quotations of wheat, corn, oats, rye and barley, besides beans and peas; 
meats include live hogs, beef, sheep and various provisions, lard, tallow, etc.; dairy and garden include 
butter, eggs, vegetables and fruits; other foods include fish, liquors, condiments, sugar, rice, tobacco, etc.; 
clothing includes the raw material of each industry, and many quotations of woolen, cotton and other tex- 
tile goods, as well as hides and leather; metals include various quotations of pig iron, and partially manu- 
factured and finished products, as well as minor metals, coal and petroleum. The miscellaneous class 
embraces many grades of hard and soft lumber, lath, brick, lime, glass, turpentine, hemp, linseed oil, 
paints, fertilizers and drugs. 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 93 

6.— INDEX NUMBERS OF GIBSON. 

PUBLICATION. 

"This index of wholesale prices in the United States is published by 
Thomas Gibson, New York, every Saturday, in his weekly market letter. 

HISTORY. 

"In March, 1910, Prof. J. Pease Norton published a 'report on a 
new method of compiling index numbers on the Sauerbeck selection of 
commodities modified with the Dun system of weighting,' which was 
prepared for use in the weekly market report of Thomas Gibson. ^ The 
work was undertaken as a continuation of the Dun index, which had 
been suspended in May, 1907. 

"In this compilation 50 articles, divided into four general groups, 
were used instead of the much larger number included in Dun's index. 
The general food group was in turn divided into vegetable foods and 
animal foods. The descriptions of the 50 articles whose prices formed 
the index were the same as those used for these 50 articles in Bulletin 
of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 75. The actual and relative 
prices for 1907 of these 50 articles appear to have been taken from the 
latter source. The plan followed in the compilation of this index was 
intended to be that used by Sauerbeck. It is claimed that no manu- 
factured or derivative products are included, but that only primary com- 
modities have been used. 

"Since November, 1912, only 22 articles, all of which belong to the 
food group alone, have been included in the index number. * >h * * * 

BASE PERIOD. 

"The years 1890 to 1899 are used as the base period in the compu- 
tation of the index number. 

PRICES: HOW SHOWN AND COMPUTED. 

"The actual prices of the articles are not shown for any period, the 
only data published in Gibson's weekly market report being the index 
for all commodities. 

NUMBER AND CLASS OF COMMODITIES. 

"As has been stated, when this index was first published it covered 
50 articles from the farm, mines, and other sources, and included such as 
had been subjected only to an initial manufacturing process. Since 
November, 1912, it has been calculated on the food group alone, includ- 
ing 22 articles. It is stated that the articles covered are those essentially 
primary in their nature. 

iSee also article by Prof. Norton in Quarterly Journal of Economics, August, 1910, pp. 750-759. Pub- 
lished by Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 



94 WHOLESALE PRICES. 

DESCRIPTION AND GROUPING OF COMMODITIES. 

"The present list of articles is divided into two groups, as follows: 

Vegetable foods (13 articles). 

Wheat, contract price. 

Wheat flour, spring patents. 

Wheat flour, winter patents. 

Barley, by sample. 

Oats, cash. 

Corn, No. 2, cash. 

Corn meal, fine yellow. 

Potatoes, white. 

Rye, No. 2. 

Sugar, 89°, fair refining. 

Sugar, 96°, centrifugal. 

Coffee, Rio, No. 7. 

Tea, Formosa, fine. 



Animal foods (9 articles). 

Beef, steers (average of quotations for two grades). 

Beef, fresh native sides. 

Beef, salt. 

Mutton, sheep (average of quotations for two grades). 

Mutton, dressed. 

Pork, hogs (average of quotations for two grades). 

Bacon, short rib sides. 

Hams. 

Butter (average of quotations for three grades). 



WEIGHTING. 

"The weights assigned to the four groups formerly included in the 
index number were 50 for foods, 18 for textiles, 16 for minerals, and 16 
for other commodities. 

"The weighting was accomplished by using a combination of figures 
from Dun's report and the material published by the United States 
Bureau of Labor. ********** 

"Since the reduction of the number of articles on which the index 
number is calculated from 50 articles of all classes to 22 food com- 
modities, no explanation has been given concerning the method of 
weighting employed, so far as can be ascertained. It is stated, how- 
ever, in Gibson's weekly market letter of January 11, 1913, and in sub- 
sequent issues that the index number is weighted according to Dun's 
method. 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 

TABLES OF RESULTS. 



95 



The average yearly index numbers for the cost of foodstuffs, the only 
part of the original series now published, as computed by this process 
from 1890, down to the present time, are shown in the following tables 
appearing in Gibson's weekly market letter of December 7, 1917. 

AVERAGE YEARLY INDEX NUMBERS, 1890-1917. 



Year. 


Average 
yearly 
index 

number. 


Year. 


Average 
yearly 
index 

number. 


Year. 


Average 
yearly 
index 

number. 


1890 


43.4 
50.8 
45.3 
46.0 
43.4 
42.0 
34.0 
34.7 
38.7 
41.6 


1900 
1901 
1902 
1903 
1904 
1905 
1906 
1907 
1908 
1909 


42.2 
44.5 
53.5 
49.0 
48.3 
47.3 
49.8 
50.9 
54.2 
59.2 


1910 
1911 
1912 
1913 
1914 
1915 
1916 
1917 
(11 mos.) 


59.3 
56.9 
62.6 
58.1 
60.8 
64.0 
59.3 
109.9 


1891 

1892 


1893 

1894 


1895 


1896 


1897 

1898 

1899 







Monthly averages for the years 1913-1917 are as follows: 

MONTHLY AVERAGES, 1913-1917. 



Month. 


1913 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


Average. 


Average. 


Average. 


Average. 


Average. 


January 


55.5 
57.0 
57.8 
59.0 
57.8 
57.3 
58.6 
59.3 
60.0 
58.4 
58.4 
58.2 


58.2 
58.2 
57.8 
57.7 
57.9 
59.4 
58.9 
64.9 
68.6 
62.9 
63.1 
62.3 


64.7 
68.0 
66.7 
67.8 
68.3 
64.3 
64.4 
63.1 
58.5 
60.0 
60.6 
62.1 


65.6 
68.2 
69.5 
71.3 
72.3 
70.8 
71.9 
76.1 
78.4 
82.2 
87.1 
85.1 


87.4 
90.5 
96.4 
109.2 
118.5 
114.2 
116.4 
117.9 
119.4 
120.1 
119.9 


February 


March 


May 




July 




September 


October 




December 





96 WHOLESALE PRICES. 

7.— CANADIAN INDEX NUMBERS OF WHOLESALE PRICES. 

"This compilation of wholesale prices for the Dominion of Canada is 
published yearly by the Department of Labor of Canada at Ottawa. 
Index numbers for each group of commodities and for its main sub- 
divisions are also published monthly in the Labor Gazette, the official 
organ of the department of labor. 

HISTORY. 

"The first report on wholesale prices made by the Canadian Depart- 
ment of Labor was published in 1910 and covered the years 1890 to 
1909, inclusive. The object in undertaking this work was to determine 
as accurately as possible the nature and extent of the general rise in 
wholesale prices which had occurred in Canada during recent years. 
Prior to the beginning of this work the Labor Gazette, the official organ 
of the department, had for some time published each month certain 
data regarding prices in connection with its review of industrial and labor 
conditions. The importance of the subject and the unsatisfactoriness 
of general statements in a matter of this kind led the department in 
1910 to adopt a more comprehensive and systematic method of treating 
the subject of prices in the monthly summary and also to extend the 
inquiry into the wholesale prices of a selected list of representative staple 
commodities back over the preceding 20 years. ^ In subsequent annual 
and monthly reports the price data have been brought down to the 
present time. 

SOURCE OF QUOTATIONS. 

"It is stated that the practice followed throughout the investigation 
was 'to collect and collate the best available published information and 
to submit the result for verification to long-established firms at the whole- 
sale center in question.' The daily press and weekly trade journals of 
Canada and the printed reports of exchanges, boards of trade, etc., 
are mentioned as the principal sources of data. When reliable printed 
matter failed, information was obtained from books of manufacturers 
and wholesalers. 

"A source used for verification purposes in the case of a few impor- 
tant raw materials imported by manufacturers direct from the primary 
markets of the world, and in which there is no wholesale trade in Canada, 
was the declared import values, which were divided by total quantities 
to show the average prices. Toronto and Montreal markets furnish the 
great mass of the quotations published in the reports. ^ 

BASE PERIOD. 

"The base period selected for the computation of index numbers for 
practically all commodities is the decade 1890-1899. Two reasons 
are given for this selection: (1) The period was considered as repre- 
sentative of normal conditions as any available, containing a time of 
falling and a time of rising prices, and (2) direct comparison with the 
similar study of the United States Department of Labor was considered 
very desirable, and this was made possible by choosing the same base 
period.^ In a few instances, owing to special reasons, a period other 
than the decade 1890-1899 has been chosen as the base. 

1 Wholesale prices in Canada 1890-1909, p. 2. sidem, p. 8. 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 97 

PRICES: HOW COMPUTED AND SHOWN. 

"In the first report the prices quoted are stated to be 'for the most 
part those prevalHng on the opening day of each month, though if, 
in particular cases, these were found to be abnormal, an average of the 
week was taken.^ In the report for 1912 it is stated that the manner 
of quoting prices is the same as in the earlier reports except that for 
certain articles subject to rapid fluctuations (grains, live animals, cer- 
tain meats, butter, eggs, potatoes, and fresh fruits — 40 in all) weekly 
instead of monthly quotations were obtained.^ This plan was continued 
in the preparation of the wholesale-price data for 1913. 

" Difficulty was encountered in obtaining quotations of a uniform 
quality of certain articles, particularly of manufactured articles, through 
a series of years. It is stated in the reports that wherever such articles 
are quoted, care has been taken to see that changes in quality are 
accounted for in the prices given.^ In a few cases — as, for example, in 
the case of cotton goods — the prices published are not simple quota- 
tions on a single variety, but averages of a large number of varieties. 

"In the annual reports the actual prices are published for each com- 
modity by months, or, in some cases, by weeks, and the average of these 
quotations is given as the price for the year. Index numbers are pub- 
lished in the annual reports for each commodity by years and in the 
Labor Gazette for each group and subgroup (56 items in all) by months 
currently. Index numbers do not seem to be published for single com- 
modities by months. Many of the actual prices are stated in the form 
of a range of price, and apparently the mean is used for computations 
based on these figures. 

"Some commodities whose price is largely governed by seasonal 
conditions are quoted for only those months of the year when they are 
in season — as, for example, blue grapes, for which quotations are given 
only for September and October. 

1 Wholesale prices in Canada, 1890-1909, p. 440 3 idem, 2912, p. 2 

2 Idem, p. 439. " Idem, 1890-1909, p. 439 



98 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



CANADA— WHOLESALE PRICES INDEX. 

TABLE SHOWING INDEX NUMBERS OF ALL COMMODITIES BY GROUPS, 1890-1916. 
[Average Prices 1890-1899=100.] 



1. Grains and fodder 

2. Animals and meats 

3. Dairy produce 

4. Fish 

5. Other foods 

6. Textiles 

7. Hides, leather, boots. . . 

8. Metals and implements:- 

(a) Metals 

(b) Implements 

9. Fuel and lighting 

10. Buildings materials: — 

(a) Lumber 

(b) Miscellaneous . . . . 

(c) Paints, oils, glass . 

11. House furnishings 

12. Drugs and chemicals. . . . 

13. Miscellaneous: — 

(a) Furs, raw 

(b) Liquors, tobaccos. 

(c) Sundries 



All. 



1890 


1891 


1892 


1893 


1894 


1895 


1896 


1897 


1898 


116.7 


123.9 


106.7 


99.1 


94.3 


98.8 


85.2 


80.6 


98.8 


111.2 


104.7 


108.5 


117.7 


98.7 


92.2 


82.4 


90.4 


97.9 


103.0 


106.2 


105.8 


110.4 


104.6 


94.8 


90.1 


90.1 


92.9 


103.3 


97.3 


90.6 


99.7 


96.4 


101.4 


102.6 


98.6 


99.6 


120.3 


121.3 


104.7 


102.1 


95.0 


95.2 


87.1 


86.0 


94.3 


111.4 


104.2 


102.2 


101.2 


97.3 


93.6 


96.9 


98.0 


95.2 


100.6 


102.6 


99.8 


101.8 


89.9 


98.6 


92.9 


100.1 


105.0 


125.4 


114.4 


107.6 


102.1 


91.1 


87.0 


87.5 


85.. 7 


87.6 


103.8 


103.2 


102.9 


102.6 


102.2 


101.0 


98.5 


93.1 


94.3 


107.4 


106.7 


106.6 


102.9 


97.5 


97.0 


98.9 


96.4 


93.5 


103.5 


102.7 


104.4 


i03.7 


104.6 


102.8 


97.1 


93.9 


90.8 


117.6 


110.4 


106.8 


103.7 


98.7 


95.2 


93.9 


87.7 


87.4 


109.5 


103.8 


98.2 


98.6 


95.5 


96.1 


96.2 


95.5 


100.0 


100.2 


100.5 


100.9 


101.1 


101.3 


97.9 


97.5 


99.8 


99.6 


110.5 


110.3 


104.4 


104.4 


103.1 


100.3 


99.8 


96.5 


96.8 


86.5 


99.7 


103.7 


123.6 


113.5 


80.5 


80.7 


88.0 


111.1 


94.9 


99.0 


99.7 


99.4 


98.7 


99.4 


98.0 


103.9 


103.9 


112.0 


106.7 


98.9 


100.3 


93.7 


91.3 


92.6 


91.2 


103.3 


110.3 


108.5 


102.8 


102.5 


97.2 


95.6 


92.5 


92.2 


96.1 



1. Grains and fodder 

2. Animals and meats 

3. Dairy produce 

4. Fish 

5. Other foods 

6. Textiles 

7. Hides, leather, boots 

8. Metals and implements: — 

(a) Metals 

(b) Implements 

9. Fuel and lighting 



1899 


1900 


1901 


1902 


1903 


1904 


1905 


1906 


1907 


96.7 


99.9 


107.3 


116.1 


106.5 


115.5 


116.4 


118.5 


140.2 


95.1 


103.4 


111.3 


122.2 


117.9 


111.3 


120.7 


130.1 


133.8 


101.4 


109.0 


120.5 


106.9 


108.9 


107.2 


115.1 


120.2 


131.5 


110.0 


106.4 


113.2 


110.2 


116.2 


119.5 


115.7 


121.8 


129.5 


93.6 


96.4 


98.6 


98.4 


98.1 


101.8 


100.7 


103.1 


112.5 


99.8 


100.0 


103.6 


101.0 


105.9 


110.4 


114.6 


123.4 


126.1 


109.4 


113.8 


112.8 


118.2 


115.7 


113.6 


119.6 


128.1 


125.5 


111.9 


121.2 


110.4 


102.8 


105.5 


99.7 


108.4 


128.6 


134.8 


98.0 


100.1 


102.2 


104.7 


105.7 


106.2 


106.1 


106.0 


107.1 


96.9 


100.8 


98.1 


104.9 


111.0 


103.0 


104.1 


106.4 


108.8 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



99 



TABLE SHOWING INDEX NUMBERS OF ALL COMMODITIES BY GROUPS. 1890-1916. 
[Average Prices 1890-1899 = 100.] 



10. Buildings materials: — 

(a) Lumber 

(b) Miscellaneous. . . 

(c) Paints, oils, glass. 

11. House furnishings 

12. Drugs and chemicals. . . 

13. Miscellaneous:— 

(a) Furs, raw 

(b) Liquors, tobaccos 

(c) Sundries 

All 



1889 


1900 


1901 


1902 


1903 


1904 


1905 


1906 


1907 


95.8 


114.0 


114.6 


122.0 


128.8 


131.3 


134.1 


152.7 


165.2 


9 7. .2 


111.8 


106.0 


104.6 


107.7 


107.2 


106.8 


104.7 


108.7 


107.6 


125.9 


121.9 


128.1 


126.3 


122.4 


125.3 


135.3 


141.2 


100.2 


110.2 


107.9 


109.2 


109.6 


112.7 


107.3 


113.0 


112.7 


93.3 


101.5 


99.8 


102.2 


105.5 


109.0 


106.4 


106.3 


108.5 


111.8 


147.3 


140.9 


145.2 


168.1 


171.3 


217.4 


229:2 


239.4 


102.3 


103.3 


103.3 


103.7 


107.0 


107.8 


108.1 


108.1 


125.5 


109.5 


113.0 


110.9 


116.8 


115.9 


119.1 


121.1 


120.9 


123.0 


100.1 


108.2 


107.0 


109.0 


110.5 


111.4 


113.8 


120.0 


126.2 



TABLE SHOWING INDEX NUMBERS OF ALL COMMODITIES BY GROUPS, 1890-1916. 
[Average Prices 1890-1899=100.] 



1. Grains and fodder 

2. Animals and meats 

3. Dairy produce , 

4. Fish 

5. Other foods 

6. Textiles 

7. Hides, leather, boots. . . 

8. Metals and implements:- 

(a) Metals 

(b) Implements 

9. Fuel and lighting 

10. Buildings materials: — 

(a) Lumber 

(b) Miscellaneous . . . 

(c) Paints, oils, glass. 

11. House furnishings 

12. Drugs and chemicals. . . 

13. Miscellaneous:— 

(a) Furs, raw 

(b) Liquors, tobaccos 

(c) Sundries 

All 



1908 



148.3 
129.6 
136.3 
120.5 
110.3 
111.0 
120.0 

106.3 
104.2 
102.2 

162.6 
107.5 
136.8 
112.8 
107.1 

231.8 
118.0 
117.6 



120.8 



1909 



149.9 
148.6 
133.6 
134.0 
107.6 
108.3 
135.4 

101.9 
102.4 
103.8 

154.6 
105.7 
135.2 
110.4 
103.9 

227.2 
117.5 
121.6 



121.2 



1910 



140.7 
163.6 
135.7 
145.1 
111.3 
114.6 
135.4 

97.6 
104.5 
103.0 

158.5 
109.2 
145.5 
110.6 
109.5 

234.5 
132.9 
118.0 



124.2 



1911 



148.4 
146.6 
136.2 
143.6 
118.7 
119.2 
139.6 

108.3 
104.5 
100.5 

165.4 
102.6 
154.5 
110.4 
112.1 

252.9 
151.2 
110.3 



127.4 



1912 



167.3 
160.8 
159.0 
155.7 
126.0 
120.7 
152.4 

117.4 
104.7 
113.3 

166.5 
105.4 
148.6 
114.5 
115.5 

297.3 
155.2 
104.0 



1913: 



136.8 
180.8 
154.7 
158.0 
117.4 
130.8 
163.9 

119.1 
105.6 
118.2 

181.3 
112.7 
144.8 
126.2 
113.3 

307.9 
134.7 
113.1 



1914 



156.5 
192.3 
154.4 
156.0 
118.8 
133.5 
171.8 

113.9 
106.8 
110.9 

182.1 
111.4 
140.7 
129.5 
121.6 

205.4 
136.9 
108.5 



136.1 



1915 



186.9 
187.2 
161.4 
149.7 
125.5 
149.2 
180.5 

152.4 
112.1 
108.8 

175.7 
115.9 
157.1 
136.5 
181.3 

161.9 
135.6 
116.6 



148.0 



1916 



195.2 
217.7 
183.5 
184.8 
156.2 
193.4 
233.4 

198.9 
135.2 
132.6 

182.1 
154.9 
200.5 
157.1 
252.2 

299.8 
142.4 
143.0 



182.0 



100 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



1917 



Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May 


June 


July 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


258.7 


243.0 
260.2 
234.8 
188.7 
212.5 
223.8 
264.7 

234.2 
165.2 
162.5 

189.2 
186.0 
222.8 
168.9 
237.0 

403.7 
164.8 
155.6 


254.1 
269.1 
224.2 
195.1 
218.4 
230.7 
254.2 

241.1 
165.2 
174.9 

193.5 
191.3 
244.4 
170.2 
246.3 

403.7 
164.8 

157.2 


275.9 
283.0 
216.0 
218.0 
233.8 
238.0 
254.2 

250.0 
165.2 
171.1 

198.8 
146.7 
252.4 
179.5 
248.7 

412.4 
167.2 
161.3 


304.2 
306.5 
221.8 
199.2 
253.6 
242.6 
273.5 

265.0 
167.7 


290.9 
280.4 
205.7 
198.4 
264.6 
261.1 
275.4 

274.2 
192.3 


294.1 
292.6 
208.6 
190.4 
251.6 
266.2 
267.6 

277.8 
198.7 
216.1 

215.9 
214.7 
256.0 
198.4 
256.6 

396.6 

175.5 
193.4 


294.7 
289.2 
225.2 
201.5 
217.9 
274.1 
269.7 

278.0 
200.7 
205.8 

221.3 
216.1 
259.6 
198.4 
262.8 

388.4 
175.5 
196.5 


280.7 
293.5 
229.7 
214.3 
222.4 
274.8 
268.8 

274.0 
199.8 

213.8 

221.3 
214.5 
260.0 
205.6 
268.6 

388.4 
175.5 
196.5 


281.0 
298.4 
245.2 
233.0 

291.9 
272.6 

1 
261.8 

199.8 

167.0 

222.5 
212.2 
259.9 
205.6 
265.7 

415.1 
165.9 
197.8 






249.2 






233.3 






183 8 






199 4 






216.4 






275.9 






210.9 






156.5 






159.7 






185.8 


204.3 
202.5 
258.4 
190.2 

255.3 

396.6 
175.5 
183.5 


204.4 
209.3 
257.8 
195.7 
254.4 

396.6 
175.5 
194.2 






179 6 






213 






168 9 






236 7 






399.5 






167.2 






155.5 












208.1 


217.3 


220.6 


228.7 


240.0 


242.7 


242.6 


245.0 


243.2 


242.6 







1. Grains and fodder 

2. Animals and meats 

3. Dairy produce 

4. Fish 

5. Other foods 

6. Textiles 

7. Hides, leather, boots. . . 

8. Metals and implements: 

(a) Metals 

(b) Implements 

9. Fuel and lighting 

10. Buildings materials: 

(a) Lumber 

(b) Miscellaneous. . . . 

(c) Paints, oils, glass. 

11. House furnishings 

12. Drugs and chemicals. . 

13. Miscellaneous: 

(a) Furs, raw 

(b) Liquors, tobaccos. 

(c) Sundries 

All 

1 Calculated. 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 101 

8.— WHOLESALE PRICES IN THE UNITED STATES, SINCE 1914, 
THE BEGINNING OF THE EUROPEAN WAR. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows by its compilation that the 
wholesale prices of many commodities have more than doubled in the 
United States since the outbreak of the European war. This is par- 
ticularly true of grains and metals, immense quantities of which have 
been sent abroad. As compared with the prices prevailing in July, 
1914, the month immediately preceding the opening of hostilities, wheat 
and flour in the Minneapolis market had increased in June, 1917, more 
than 200 per cent, corn in Chicago had increased more than 140 per 
cent, corn meal in New York had increased more than 170 per cent, and 
good to choice potatoes in Chicago had increased more than 140 per 
cent. Other articles showing large increases were wool (Ohio, fine 
fleece, scoured) 134.6 per cent, worsted yarn (2-32s, crossbred stock) 
138.5 per cent, bituminous coal (run of mine at Cincinnati) 172.7 per 
cent, electrolytic copper 142.5 per cent, pig lead 194.9 per cent, pig 
tin 102.6 per cent, Bessemer pig iron 267.1 per cent, and steel billets 
419.7 per cent. 

A comparison of wholesale prices of important commodities in repre- 
sentative markets from July, 1914, to June, 1917, is contained in the 
two tables which follow. The average actual money prices for the 
specified months are shown in the first table. The relative prices in 
the second table are based on the actual prices, the prices for July, 1914, 
being taken as 100. 



102 



WHOLESALE PRICES. 



WHOLESALE PRICES OF IMPORTANT COMMODITIES, JULY, 1914-1916. AND 

JANUARY-JUNE, 1917. 

Actual Prices. 



Article. 



Unit. 



Average monthly price. 



July. 



1914. 1915 



1917. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. 



May. 



June. 



Cattle, good to 
choice steers . . . 

Beef, fresh, native 
steers 

Beef, salt, mess.. . 

Hogs, heavy 

Bacon, short clear 
sides 

Pork, salt, mess. . 

Lard, prime, con- 
tract 

Wheat, No. 1, Nor- 
thern 

Flour, standard 
patent 

Corn, No. 2, mixed. 

Meal, fine, yellow. 

Potatoes, white. . . 

Sugar, granulated 

Hides, packers'. . . 

Cotton, upland, 
middling 

Cotton, yarn, 
carded, 10-1 

Wool, fine fleece, 
scoured 

Worsted yarn, 
2-32S 

Coal, bituminous. 

Copper, electroly- 
tic 

Pig lead 

Pig tin 

Pig iron, Bessemer 

Steel billets 

Spelter 

Petroleum, crude. 



100 lbs. 

Pound 
Barrel 
100 lbs. 

Pound 
Barrel 

Pound 

Bushel 

Barrel 
Bushel 
100 lbs. 
Bushel 
Pound 
Pound 

Pound 

Pound 

Pound 

Pound 
2000 lbs. 

Pound 
Pound 
Pound 

2240 lbs. 

2240 lbs. 
Pound 
Barrel 



$9,219 

.135 
17.250 
8.769 

.141 
23.625 



.102 

.897 

.594 
.710 
.425 
.206 
.042 
.194 

.131 

.215 



.650 
2.200 

.134 

.039 

.311 

14.900 

19.000 

.051 

1.750 



$9,213 

.132 

1 7 . 500 

7.281 

111 
18.500 



1.390 

7.031 
.783 

1.725 
.444 
.058 
.258 

.092 



.850 
2.200 

.199 

.058 

.391 

14.950 

21.380 

.220 

1.350 



$9,985 

.141 
18.250 
9.825 

.157 
27.167 

.131 

1.170 

6.100 
.808 

1.900 
.863 
.075 
.270 

.130 



.761 

1.100 
2.200 

.265 

.069 

.389 

21.950 

41.000 

.113 

2.600 



$10,530 

.138 
23.250 
10.955 

.165 
32.250 



1.917 

9.215 

.982 

2.650 

1.795 

.066 

.335 

.176 

.340 

1.000 

1.250 
4.500 

.295 

.075 

.430 

35.950 

63.000 

.098 

2.850 



$11,131 

.141 
23 . 250 
12.575 

.175 
33.250 

.172 

1.808 

9.069 
1.016 

2.750 

2.469 

.069 

.318 

.163 

.320 

1.087 

1 . 250 
5.000 

.330 

.085 

.490 

35.950 

65.000 

.099 

3.050 



$11,869 

.149 
24.313 
14.794 

.196 

35.438 

.200 

1.984 

9.631 
1.123 
2.750 
2.275 
.071 
.305 

.186 

.310 

1.130 

1.270 
5.000 

.363 

.095 

.515 

37.700 

56.250 

.109 

3.050 



$12,310 

.160 
26.250 
15.795 

.218 
39 . 000 

.213 

2.381 

11.619 

1.397 

3.100 

2.669 

.082 

.305 



.203 

.360 

1.152 

1.300 
5.000 

.340 

.094 

.543 

42.200 

73.750 

.108 

3.050 



$12,475 

.160 
29.600 
16.088 

.242 
41.450 



2.981 

14.880 

1.625 

3.700 

2 . 705 

.079 

.315 

.208 



1.304 

1.400 
6.000 

.310 

.099 

.585 

45.150 

86 . 000 

.095 

3.100 



$12,550 

.162 
30 . 500 
15.706 

.242 
41.500 



2.694 

13.894 

1.716 

3 . 900 

2.950 

.075 

.330 

.255 

.375 

1.348 

1.550 
6.000 

.325 

.115 

.630 

54.700 

98.750 

.096 

3.100 



WHOLESALE PRICES OF IMPORTANT COMMODITIES, JULY, 1914-1916, AND 

JANUARY -JUNE, 1917. 

Relative Prices. 



Article. 



Cattle, good to choice steers 
Beef, fresh, native steers. . . . 

Beef, salt, mess 

Hogs, heavy 

Bacon, short clear sides. . . . 

Pork, salt, mess 

Lard, prime, contract 

Wheat, No. 1 Northern. . . . 

Flour, standard patent 

Corn, No. 2, mixed 

Meal, fine, yellow 

Potatoes, white 

Sugar, granulated 

Hides, packers' 

Cotton, upland, middling. . . 
Cotton yarns, carded 10-1 . . 
Wool, fine, iieece, scoured. . . 

Worsted yarns, 2-32s 

Coal, bituminous 

Copper, electrolytic 

Pig lead 

Pig tin 

Pig iron, Bessemer 

Steel billets 

Spelter 

Petroleum, crude 



Unit. 



100 lbs. 
Pound 
Barrel 
100 lbs. 
Pound 
Barrel 
Pound 
Bushel 
Barrel 
Bushel 
100 lbs. 
Bushel 
Pound 
Pound 
Pound 
Pound 
Pound 
Pound 

2000 lbs. 
Pound 
Pound 
100 lbs. 

2240 lbs. 

2240 lbs. 
Pound 
Barrel 









Relative 


price. 








July. 


1917. 


1914. 


1915. 


1916. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May 


June. 


100 


99.9 


108.3 


114.2 


120.7 


128.7 


133.5 


135.3 


36.1 


100 


97.4 


104.7 


101.9 


104.7 


110.4 


118.5 


118.5 


19.6 


100 


101.4 


105.8 


134.8 


134.8 


140.9 


152.2 


171.6 


76.8 


100 


83.0 


112.0 


124.9 


143.4 


168.7 


180.1 


183.5 


79.1 


100 


78.8 


111.3 


117.3 


124.3 


139.3 


154.8 


171.8 


71.8 


100 


78.3 


115.0 


136.5 


140.7 


150.0 


165.1 


175.4 


75.7 


100 


79.1 


128.3 


157.1 


168.4 


195.4 


208.3 


220.0 


7.2 


100 


155.0 


130.5 


213.6 


201.5 


221.2 


265.5 


,332.2 


0.2 


100 


153.1 


132.8 


700.6 


197.4 


209.7 


252.9 


332.9 


2.4 


100 


110.2 


113.7 


138.2 


143.1 


158.2 


196.7 


228.8 


41.6 


100 


121.1 


133.3 


186.0 


193.0 


193.0 


217.5 


259.6 


73.7 


100 


36.8 


71.5 


148.8 


204.7 


188.6 


221.2 


224.2 


44.5 


100 


138.6 


178.6 


157.6 


163.3 


168.1 


194.0 


189.0 


79.5 


100 


132.9 


139.3 


172.9 


163.8 


157.4 


157.4 


162.5 


70.3 


100 


70.1 


99.3 


134.3 


124.2 


141.6 


154.8 


158.1 


93.8 


100 


74.4 


117.4 


158.1 


148.8 


144.2 


167.4 


169.8 


74.4 


100 


113.5 


132.4 


174.1 


189.2 


196.8 


200.6 


227.0 


34.6 


100 


130.8 


169.2 


192.3 


192.3 


195.4 


200.0 


215.4 


38.5 


100 


100.0 


100.0 


204.5 


227.3 


227.3 


227.3 


272.7 


72.7 


100 


148.4 


197.8 


220.1 


246.3 


270.5 


253.7 


231.3 


42.5 


100 


147.4 


175.6 


192.3 


217.9 


243 . 6 


239.7 


253.3 


94.9 


100 


125.7 


125.0 


138.3 


157.6 


165.6 


174.4 


188.1 


2.6 


100 


100.3 


147.3 


241.3 


241.3 


253.0 


283.2 


.303.0 


67.1 


100 


112.5 


215.8 


331.6 


342.1 


348.7 


388.2 


452.6 


19.7 


100 


435.6 


222.8 


193.1 


195.6 


215.4 


212.9 


188.1 


90.7 


100 


77.1 


148.6 


162.9 


174.3 


174.3 


174.3 


177.1 


77.1 



CHAPTER III 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



1.— PROPORTION OF FAMILY EXPENDITURES FOR VARIOUS 

ITEMS. 

(From Conditions of Labor in American Industries — Lauck 
and Sydenstricker, 1917.) 

Several important collections of family budgets of wage-earners have 
been made in the United States in the last fourteen years. The most 
important of these have been: 

"Chapin — The Standard of Living in New York City (1907); More — 
Wage-Earners' Budgets (1903-1905); Byington— Homestead : A Mill 
Town (1907-1908); New York State Conference of Charities and Cor- 
rectives (published in Chapin, supt. cit., 1907); U. S. Bureau of Labor — • 
Women and Child Wage-Earners, Vol. xix (1909); British Board of 
Trade — The Cost of Living in American Towns (1909); Eighteenth 
Annual Report of the Commissioner of Labor on Cost of Living (1901); 
J. C. Kennedy and others — Wages and Family Budgets in the Chicago 
Stockyard District (1909-1910); Pittsburgh Associated Charities re- 
port (1910). • 

"From these the conclusion appears warrantable that the family of 
average size and of earnings within the predominant ranges of income 
disposes of its income in approximately the following manner of existing 

prices. 

• 

Per Cent. 

Food 40 to 50 

Rent 17 to 20 

Clothing 12 to 15 

Fuel and lighting 4 to 8 

Sundries 10 to 17 

"These approximations take into consideration the rise in prices of 
foods and in rents. They indicate the important fact that something 
like four-fifths of the family income must be spent for subsistence, cloth- 
ing and shelter. For all of the other items of expenditure which con- 
tribute to the health, comfort and contentment of the family a com- 
paratively small proportion of the family income is available. As an 
illustration the more detailed data obtained from an intensive study by 
the U. S. Bureau of Labor of the annual budgets of 2,567 workingmen's 
families may be presented." 

103 



104 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



PER CENT OF EXPENDITURE FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES IN 11,156 NORMAL FAMILIES 

BY CLASSIFIED INCOME 



Classified Income. 


Rent 


Fuel 


Light- 
ing 


Food 


Cloth- 
ing 


Sun- 
dries 


Total 


Under $200 


$16.93 
18.02 
18.69 
18.57 
18.43 
18.48 
18.17 
17.07 
17.58 
17.53 
16.59 
17.40 


$ 6.69 
6.09 
5.97 
5.54 
5.09 
4.65 
4.14 
3.87 
3.85 
3.77 
3.63 
3.85 


$ 1.27 
1.13 
1.14 
1.12 
1.12 
1.12 
1.12 
1.10 
1.11 
1.16 
1.08 
1.18 


$50.85 
47.33 
48.09 
46.88 
46.16 
43.48 
41.44 
41.37 
39.90 
38.79 
37.68 
36.45 


$ 8.68 
8.66 
10.02 
11.39 
11.98 
12.88 
13.50 
13.57 
14.35 
15.06 
14.89 
15.72 


$15.58 
18.77 
16.09 
16.50 
17.22 
19.39 
21.63 
23.02 
23.21 
23.69 
26.13 
25.40 


$100.00 
100.00 
100.00 
100.00 
100.00 
100.00 
100.00 
100.00 
100.00 
100.00 
100.00 
100.00 


$200 or under $300 

300 or under 400 

400 or under 500 

500 or under 600 

600 or under 700 

700 or under 800 

800 or under 900 

900 or under 1,000 

1,000 or under 1,100 

1,100 or under 1,200 

1,200 or over 


Total 


$18.12 


$ 4.57 


$ 1.12 


$43.13 


$12.95 


$20.11 


$100.00 



PER CENT OF TOTAL FAMILY INCOME EXPENDED FOR MEAT, ALL FOOD, RENT. AND 
FOR FOOD AND RENT IN 3,215 FAMILIES IN 1909. (a) 



Items of Expenditures 




Families Reporting 


Weekly 


Incomes of 




Under 
$ 9.73 


$9.73 

and 

under 

14.60 


$14.60 

and 

under 

19.47 


$19.47 
and 
under 
24.33 


$24.33 

and 

under 

29.20 


$29.20 
and 
under 
34.07 


$34.07 

and 

under 

38.93 


$38.93 
and 
over 


Meat 

All food 


$12.95 
51.39 
19.53 
70.92 


$13.49 
47.62 
17.74 
65.36 


$12.22 
44.15 
16.66 
60.81 


$11.36 
41.19 
15.34 
56.53 


$10.50 
37.88 
14.04 
51.92 


$ 9.32 
33.53 
12.01 

45.54 


$10.23 
34.49 
12.04 
46.53 


$ 9.28 . 

28.40 

9.91 

38.31 


Rent 

Food and rent 



(a) Compiled from digest of British Board of Trade report on the cost of living in American towns, 
Sen. Doc. 38, 62d Cong., 1st Sess., p. 44. The families included were native white and British-bom in 
cities in northern states. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 105 

2.— NAVY DEPARTMENT RATION FOR ENLISTED MEN. 

The Paymaster General of the Navy, in his Annual Report for the 
Fiscal Year 1917, made the following comment on the increased cost 
of the "navy" ration during the past year, (pages 18-19). 

"The unusual, if not indeed unprecedented, rise in the cost of nearly 
all staple articles of food during the year has of course been directly 
reflected in the cost of the NAVY ration which, for 1917, was $0,438 
as against $0.37648 for 1916. ******** 

"While, however, the average cost of the ration increased about twenty 
per cent over the preceding year, statistics compiled by the Department 
of Labor show that there was an increase of about forty per cent in the 
wholesale prices of the principal items of food; so that, had the cost of 
the ration increased proportionately with the rise in the food market, it 
would have cost approximately a million and a half dollars more to feed 
the NAVY than it actually did — somewhat over four thousand dollars 
a day. 

"This was accomplished by the rigid enforcement of the regulations 
prohibiting the purchase of patent and proprietary foods, by closely 
scrutinizing all reports of the survey of provisions rendered unfit for use 
to the end that wherever possible all causes for loss would be eliminated 
by inquiry into every case where ships operating under the same con- 
ditions showed a marked difference in the cost of the ration, by the prep- 
aration of such items as cakes, pies, ice cream, etc., on board ship 
rather than the purchase of the higher priced manufactured articles and 
by the exercise of care in the purchase of provisions generally to the end 
that all items might be purchased when they are most plentiful and when, 
therefore, the market is the most advantageous." 

3.— CANADIAN BUDGET. 

The Department of Labor of the Canadian (Dominion) Government 
prepares and publishes monthly the cost per week of an average family 
budget of staple foods, fuel and lighting, and rent. The following table 
as published in the September number of the Canadian Labour Gazette, 
shows this budget in a comparative form for the period 1910-1917 
(through August). 



106 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



COST PER WEEK OF A FAMILY BUDGET OF STAPLE FOODS. FUEL AND LIGHTING AND 
RENT, IN TERMS OF THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES IN SIXTY CITIES IN CANADA. 




BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



107 



COST PER WEEK OF A FAMILY BUDGET OF STAPLE FOODS, FUEL AND LIGHTING AND 
RENT. IN TERMS OF THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES IN SIXTY CITIES IN CANADA. 





Quan- 
tity 


1915 


1916 


Jan. 


April 


July 


Oct. 


Jan. 


April 


July 


Oct. 


Beef, sirloin steak 

Beef, chuck roast 

Veal, roast 


2 lbs. 
2 lbs. 
1 lb. 
1 lb. 

1 lb. 

2 lbs. 

1 lb. 

2 lbs. 
1 doz. 
1 doz. 
6 qts. 
2qts. 
1 qt. 

1 qt. 

1 qt. 
15 qts. 
10 qts. 

5 qts. 

2 qts. 
2 qts. 
1 qt. 

1 qt. 
4 qts. 

2 qts. 
iqt. 
iqt. 
iqt. 

2 pks. 
ipt. 


c. 

47.2 
32.8 
17.6 
20.4 
19.0 
35.8 
25.1 
35.6 
45.5 
34.9 
55.2 
61.8 
35.0 
22.5 
20.5 
67.5 
39.0 
24.5 
12.2 
13.2 
12.1 
12.9 
30.8 
14.0 
9.6 
9.6 
9.9 
31.7 
.8 


c. 

46.6 
32.8 
17.1 
20.8 
18.4 
34.8 
24.7 
35.0 
23.4 
21.8 
54.6 
66.2 
37.9 
23.6 
22.0 
72.0 
43.0 
26.0 
11.8 
13.8 
11.6 
12.9 
32.4 
14.6 
9.2 
9.7 
9.8 
32.0 
.8 


c. 

49.2 
33.4 
17.3 
21.3 
19.5 
34.4 
26.6 
35.8 
25.3 
24.9 
52.2 
56.2 
32.6 
24.6 
22.6 
79.2 
41.0 
26.0 
11.8 
14.8 
11.9 
13.1 
31.9 
14.6 
9.5 
9.8 
9.8 
29.3 
.8 


c. 

47.6 
32.8 
17.5 
20.8 
19.6 
35.8 
26.0 
35.8 
36.2 
31.6 
51.0 
60.8 
35.1 
24.0 
21.1 
66.0 
35.0 
24.0 
12.1 
14.8 
12.1 
12.9 
30.0 
13.8 
9.7 
9.9 
9.8 
35.0 
.7 


c. 

47.2 
32.4 
17.1 
21.1 
19.9 
36.0 
26.7 
36.6 
46.4 
36.1 
52.2 
66.6 
38.1 
24.4 
22.4 
66.0 
37.0 
24.0 
12.0 
16.9 
12.5 
12.7 
31.2 
14.4 

9.7 
10.0 

9.8 

47.0 

.8 


c. 

48.4 
32.2 
18.1 
22.6 
20.9 
37.0 
27.6 
37.8 
26.6 
26.0 
52.8 
66.6 
38.3 
24.7 
23.3 
69.0 
37.0 
24.0 
12.8 
18.3 
13.3 
13.0 
34.4 
16.0 

9.8 
10.2 

9.9 

61.5 

.8 


c. 

52.6 
35.2 
19.2 
23.9 
22.4 
38.8 
28.7 
40.4 
31.0 
28.0 
45.0 
60.4 
34.5 
25.6 
23.6 
70.5 
37.0 
24.0 
13.4 
19.4 
13.4 
13.1 
38.4 
17.6 

9.9 

10.3 

10.0 

58.6 

.8 


c. 

52.4 
34.4 
19.7 
24.2 
23.5 
40.2 
30.5 
42.2 
43.6 
38.3 
54.6 
74.2 
42.4 
27.8 
26.1 
84.0 
48.0 
25.0 
13.6 
20.8 
13.4 
13.2 
36.8 
16.8 

9.9 
10.2 

9.9 

53.0 

.8 




Pork, roast, fresh 

Pork, salt, mess 

Bacon, breakfast 

Lard pure leaf . . 




Eggs, storage 


Milk 


Butter, dairy 


Butter, creamery 

Cheese, old 


Cheese, new 


Bread, plain, white 

Flour, family 


Rolled oats 


Rice, good, medium 

Beans, hand picked 

Apples, evaporated 

Prunes, medium 

Sugar, granulated 

Sugar, yellow 


Tea, black 


Tea, green 


Coffee 


Potatoes 


Vinegar, white wine 


ALL FOODS 




$7,967 


$7,793 


$7,797 


$7,815 


$8,279 


$8,339 


$8,457 


$9,295 






Starch, laundry 


lib. 


c. 
3.3 


c. 

3.2 


c. 
3.3 


c. 
3.2 


c. 
3.2 


c. 
3.3 


c. 

3.3 


c. 

3.5 




Coal, anthracite 

Coal, bituminous 

Wood, hard, best 

Wood, soft. 


T6 ton 
T6 ton 
T6 cord 
A cord 
1 gal. 


54.1 
38.0 
42.5 
31.2 
23.7 


53.1 
37.2 
34.1 
31.4 
23.6 


52.1 
35.8 
41.7 
30.6 
23.4 


51.2 
36.9 
41.5 
30.2 
23.0 


53.2 
36.9 
41.6 
30.7 
23.0 


53.5 
37.7 
41.5 
30.2 
23.0 


54.7 
38.0 
41.9 
30.2 
22.8 


57.9 
39.9 
43.9 
31.6 
23.0 


Coal Oil 








$1,895 


$1 . 794 


$1,836 


$1,828 


$1,854 


$1,859 


$1,876 


$1,963 






Rent . . . 




$4,370 


$4,170 


$4,099 


$3.98 


$3,975 


$3,977 


$4,040 


$4,083 






Grand total 




$14,265 


$13,789 


$13,765 


$13,660 


$14,140 


$14,208 


$14,406 


$15,376 







108 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



COST PER WEEK OF A FAMILY BUDGET OF STAPLE FOODS, FUEL AND LIGHTING AND 
RENT, IN TERMS OF THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES IN SIXTY CITIES IN CANADA. 





Quan- 
tity 


1917 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


April 


May 


June 


July 


Aug. 


Beef, sirloin steak 

Beef, chuck roast 

Veal, roast 


2 lbs. 
2 lbs. 
1 lb. 
1 lb. 

1 lb. 

2 lbs. 

1 lb. 

2 lbs. 
1 doz. 

1 doz. 
6 qts. 

2 qts. 
1 qt. 
Iqt. 

1 qt. 
15 qts. 
10 qts. 

5 qts. 

2 qts. 
2 qts. 

1 qt. 
Iqt. 
4 qts. 

2 qts. 
iqt. 
iqt. 
iqt. 
2 pks. 
ipt. 


c. 

52.8 
34.8 
20.3 
24.8 
24.6 
44.8 
31.2 
48.6 
56.9 
45.3 
59.4 
88.4 
48.9 
30.5 
28.8 
91.5 
53.0 
27.0 
13.6 
24.4 
14.6 
13.6 
36.8 
17.0 
10.1 
10.1 

9.9 

64.7 

.8 


c. 

54.0 
35.8 
20.9 
25.9 
26.1 
45.2 
32.6 
50.2 
54.9 
44.5 
60.6 
86.4 
48.0 
31.2 
29.5 
91.5 
52.0 
26.5 
13.6 
25.2 
14.0 
13.8 
36.4 
17.0 
10.4 
10.5 
10.5 
78.3 
.8 


c. 

56.2 
38.2 
21.6 
26.5 
26.8 
46.8 
33.3 
52.8 
46.9 
41.8 
60.6 
85.4 
48.7 
31.9 
30.1 
90.5 
53.0 
27.5 
13.0 
25.6 
14.2 
14.0 
36.4 
16.8 
10.7 
10.7 
10.0 
98.7 
.8 


c. 

58.0 
39.6 
21.7 
26.9 
27.3 
47.6 
34.5 
56.4 
37.1 
32.9 
60.6 
85.2 
47.9 
33.0 
30.8 
93.0 
59.0 
28.0 
13.8 
26.8 
14.6 
14.3 
38.4 
17.6 
10.9 
10.8 
10.0 
99.0 
.8 


c. 

61.2 
43.0 
22.5 
28.2 
29.3 
55.6 
37.3 
60.2 
40.8 
34.5 
60.0 
85.6 
47.7 
34.1 
31.7 

111.0 
77.0 
30.5 
14.6 
29.0 
15.3 
14.8 
40.0 
18.6 
11.4 
11.1 
10.1 

126.0 
.8 


c. 

63.2 
43.6 
22.6 
28.5 
30.1 
54.0 
39.0 
62.2 
42.5 
36.6 
58.8 
83.4 
46.8 
34.0 
32.0 

111.0 
73.0 
31.5 
16.0 
30.4 
15.4 
15.1 
40.0 
19.0 
11.5 
11.3 
10.1 

127.0 
.8 


c. 

63.6 
43.5 
22.8 
28.9 
30.0 
54.1 
39.8 
62.3 
38.9 
35.9 
59.3 
75.5 
42.5 
33.4 
30.3 

110.4 
69.9 
31.4 
16.8 
31.5 
15.8 
15.5 
39.5 
18.3 
11.6 
11.3 
10.1 

118.2 
.8 


c. 

62.6 
43.0 
23.0 
28.8 
30.6 
55.6 
40.4 
62.2 
45.0 
41.2 
60.0 
80.2 
44.9 
33.5 
30.1 
110.0 
69.0 
31.5 
17.2 
32.6 
16.0 
19.1 
40.4 
18.6 
12.0 
11.6 
10.1 
97.3 
.8 




Pork, roast, fresh 

Pork, salt, mess 

Bacon, breakfast 

Lard, pure leaf 

Eggs, fresh 


Eggs, storage 


Milk 


Butter, dairy 


Butter, creamery 

Cheese, old . ... 




Bread, plain, white 


Rolled oats 


Rice, good, medium 

Beans, hand picked 

Apples, evaporated 

Prunes, medium 

Sugar, granulated 

Sugar, yellow 




Tea, green 


Coffee 


Potatoes 


Vinegar, white wine 


ALL FOODS 




s$10.272 


$10,463 


$10,695 


$10,765 


$11,819 


$11,894 


$11,618 


$11,677 






Starch, laundry 


lib. 


c. 

3.5 


c. 
3.5 


c. 

3.5 


c. 
3.6 


c. 
3.8 


c. 
3.9 


c. 
4.0 


c. 
4.1 


Coal, anthracite 

Coal, bituminous 

Wood, hard, best 

Wood, soft 

Coal Oil 


re ton 
fs ton 
Tt cord 
rs cord 
1 gal. 


64.0 

47.7 
45.7 
32.7 
23.2 


68.7 
50.4 
47.9 
33.7 
23.2 


66.6 
51.1 
49.6 
36.1 
23.4 


64.7 
50.8 
50.6 
36.9 

24.5 


64.8 
50.8 
51.7 
37.6 
25.3 


67.3 
53.9 
51.9 
39.4 
25.4 


63.2 
53.8 
52.0 
39.7 
25.6 


67.7 
54.2 
53.2 
39.1 
25.8 




Fuel and lighting 




$2,134 


$2,239 


$2,268 


$2,276 


$2,302 


$2,379 


$2,343 


$2.40 






Rent 




$4,050 


$4,040 


$4,160 


$4,265 


$4,340 


$4,360 


$4.37 


$4.36 






Grand total 




$16,464 


$16,778 


$17,158 


$17,342 


$18,500 


$18,672 


$18,368 


$18,478 









BUDGETARY STUDIES. 109 

4.— COST OF LIVING IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 

INVESTIGATION BY UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LABOR 

STATISTICS, 1916. 

A recent official budgetary investigation for the District of Columbia 
made by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows that the 
incomes of 2110 families earning less than $1,800 a year were generally 
insufficient to meet all family expenditures; and furthermore, that family 
expenditures w^ere in a very large measure inadequate to maintain nor- 
mal family life in comfort or even decency. Outlays for food, clothing, 
care in sickness, amusements and recreation were below the minimum 
requirements. 

The study in question was based upon what was considered by the 
Bureau to be a sufficiently large number of families to permit of trust- 
worthy deductions. It included data for 2110 families, 1481 of which 
were white and 629 colored. Only those families were included whose 
principal wage-earner had an income of $1,800 or less per year, and who 
had rCvsided in the District of Columbia all of the year 1916. 

The average size of the family households were 4.9 person, i. e., in- 
cluding boarders or lodgers; the net family, i. e., excluding the latter, 
was 3.7 members. 

INCOMES 

Certain studies as to the minimum required to maintain a normal 
family "upon a level of common decency" indicate a necessary income 
of $800 to $1,000; sums which are assumed to meet only the "creature 
necessities," yet 38 per cent of the families studied had yearly incomes 
of less than $900, and that in a year of unprecedented high prices; and 
61 per cent had incomes of less than $1,200 a year. Of 629 negro fami- 
lies, 29 per cent had to live on less than $600 a year; and no less than 
three-fourths lived on less than $900. Of the white families almost one- 
fourth (23 per cent) existed on less than $900 a year. There con- 
ditions are characterized by the Federal Commissioner of Labor Sta- 
tistics as "a shocking state of economic indecency" and as revealing the 
acute pinch of economic distress among a large proportion of the fami- 
lies. 

These statements are furthermore supported by the fact that one- 
third of the families, both white and colored, closed the year with de- 
ficits; and only about a fourth of them were able to show a surplus. 
"Most of the families lived literally from hand to mouth," as can be 
readily seen from the following table: 



no 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



WHITE AND COLORED FAMILIES REPORTING A SURPLUS, A DEFICIT, OR NEITHER A 
SURPLUS NOR A DEFICIT. BY INCOME GROUPS. 



Income group. 


Num- 
ber of 
fami- 
lies. 


Aver- 
age 
size of 
family 
(house- 
hold.) 


Aver- 
age 

size of 

net 
family. 


Surplus. 


Deficit. 


Neither, sur- 
plus nor 
deficit. 


Num- 
ber. 


Per 
cent. 


Num- 
ber. 


Per 

cent. 


Num- 
ber. 


Per 
cent. 


Under $600: 

White 


65 
180 


3.6 
4.0 


2.8 
2.9 


8 
10 


12.3 
5.6 


20 
65 


30.8 
36.1 


37 
105 


56.9 
58.3 




Total 

$600 and under $900: 

White 

Colored 

Total 


245 

270 
292 


3.9 

4.4 
4.8 


2.9 

3.6 
3.6 


18 

41 

22 


7.3 

15.2 

7.5 


85 

96 

88 


34.7 

35.6 
30.1 


142 

133 
182 


58.0 

49.3 
62.3 


562 

375 
113 


4.6 

4.8 
5.5 


3.6 

3.7 
3.8 


63 

83 
23 


11.2 

22.1 
20.4 


184 

126 
35 


32.7 

33.6 
31.0 


315 

166 

55 


56.0 

44.3 
48.7 


$900 and under $1,200: 

White 


Colored 

Total 

$1,200 and under $1,500: 

White 

Colored 


488 

400 
26 


4.9 

5.1 
6.2 


3.7 

4.0 

4.2 


106 

129 
9 


21.7 

32.3 
34.6 


161 

119 
6 


33.0 

29.8 
23.1 


221 

152 
11 


45.3 

38.0 
42.3 


Total 

$1,500 and over: 

White 

Colored 


426 

371 
18 


5.1 

5.5 
5.6 


4.0 

4.0 
4.1 


138 

186 
9 


32.4 

50.1 
50.0 


125 

68 
3 


29.3 

18.3 
16.7 


163 

117 
6 


38.3 

31.5 
33.3 


Total 


389 

1,481 
629 


5.5 

4.9 
4.8 


4.0 

3.8 
3.5 


195 

447 
73 


50.1 

30.2 
11.6 


71 

429 
197 


18.3 

29.0 
31.3 


123 

605 
359 


31.6 

40.9 
57.1 


Total: 

White 


Colored 

Total 


2,110 


4.9 


3.7 


520 


24.6 


626 


29.7 


964 


45.7 





EXPENDITURES. 



It is estimated by the Bureau on the basis of standards carefully 
worked out in 1907 in the ShefBeld Laboratory of Physiological Chem- 
istry (Yale University), that in 1916 the minimum daily expenditure for 
food for an adult male should be 31 cents. Nevertheless, even when 
such low standards are taken, and no allowance is made for waste and 
lack of knowledge of food values, a very large number of the families 
covered by this investigation fell below the "minimum of subsistence" 
line and many fell far below. Of 245 families with incomes of less than 
$600 per year, almost three-fourths (72%) did not spend $112.50 a 
year — or 31 cents a day — for food per equivalent adult male. More 
than one-half (51%) of the families with incomes ranging between $600 
and $900 per year spent less than the minimum standard of $112.50 
a year per equivalent adult male; and more than one-third (34%), even 
in income group $900 to $1,200, fell below the standard. The colored 
families fared worse, but not very materially so. It is quite evident, the 
report states, that a considerable proportion of the low-income families 
of Washington do not buy enough food "to maintain the family members 
in health and strength." 

According to the amounts spent in food in 1916, the families scheduled 
were as follows : 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. Ill 

EXPENDITURES FOR FOOD PER EQUIVALENT ADULT MALE, PER FULL YEAR. 1916 



Income group. 



Under S600: 

White 

Colored 

Total 

$600 and under 
$900: 

White 

Colored 

Total 

$900 and under 
$1,200: 

White 

Colored 

Total 

$1,200 and under 
$1,500: 

White 

Colored 

Total 

$1,500 and over: 

White 

Colored 

Total 

Total, all groups: 

White 

Colored 

Total 





Per cent of families spending, per 


equivalent adult male 


per year— 


Num- 
ber of 










































fami- 


Under 


Under 


Under 


Under 


Under 


Under 


Under 


Under 


Under 


$175 


lies. 


$75 


$87.50 


$100 


$112.50 


$125 


$137.50 


$150 

87.7 


$162.50 


$175 


and 
over. 


65 


29.2 


38.5 


49.2 


60.0 


73.8 


80.0 


92.3 


95.4 


4.6 


180 


40.6 


52.8 


66.1 


76.7 


88.3 


91.7 


93.9 


96.7 


98.3 


1.7 


245 


37.6 


49.0 


61.6 


72.2 


84.5 


88.6 


92.2 


95.5 


97.6 


2.4 


270 


8.5 


18.1 


28.1 


41.9 


53.0 


65.9 


77.0 


84.1 


90.4 


9.6 


292 


16.8 


34.9 


49.0 
39.0 


60.3 


67.8 


74.3 


81.8 


88.4 


92.8 


7.2 


562 


12.8 


26.9 


51.4 


60.7 


70.3 


79.5 


86.3 


91.6 


8.4 


375 


2.1 


5.9 


17.3 


29.6 


40.8 


52.5 


63.2 


73.1 


81.3 


18.7 


113 


12.4 


23.9 


36.3 


49.6 


63.7 


71.7 


77.0 
66.4 


81.4 


88.5 


11.5 


488 


4.5 


10.0 


21.7 


34.2 


46.1 


57.0 


75.0 


83.0 


17.0 


400 


1.3 


5.0 


11.3 


21.0 


30.8 


45.5 


55.3 


64.5 


73.3 


26.7 


26 


15.4 


23.1 


30.8 


50.0 


53.8 
32.2 


61.5 


73.1 
56.3 


76.9 
65.3 


76.9 


23.1 


426 


2.1 


6.1 


12.4 


22.8 


46.5 


73.5 


26.5 


371 


.3 


1.6 


4.9 


11.1 


21.8 


34.8 


48.2 


60.9 


69.8 


30.2 


18 


5.6 


11.1 


16.7 


33.3 


44.4 


50.0 


66.7 


77.8 


77.8 


22.2 


389 


.5 


2.1 


5.4 


12.1 


22.9 


35.5 


49.1 


61.7 


70.2 


29.8 


1,481 


3.8 


8.2 


15.9 


26.2 


37.0 


49.8 


60.9 


70.6 


78.5 


21.5 


629 


22.4 


36.9 


49.9 


61.8 


71.7 


77.6 


83.6 


88.7 


92.5 


7.5 


2,110 


9.3 


16.8 


26.1 


36.8 


47.3 


58.1 


67.6 


76.0 


82.7 


17.3 



Clothing standards are difficult of determination, and all past studies 
have tended to place requirements too low. The Factory Investigating 
Committee of New York allowed $50 per year for a man at work; $38.50 
for a woman in the home and correspondingly lower costs for children. 
Accepting these standards, however, "it may be said without hesitation, 
that a large proportion of the families included in this investigation 
were not supplied with necessary and respectable clothing and were 
financially unable to keep themselves so clothed." Only among families 
receiving incomes of $1,500 and over a year were the minimum require- 
ments sfecured. * 

It appears that the average expenditures for clothing in 1916, by the 
white families with incomes of less than $900 a year were, for husbands, 
only $26.01 and for wives, only $17.60. For colored families the expen- 
ditures were slightly less — for husbands, $20.72, and for wives, $16.29. 
Even for the families with incomes between $900 and $1,200, the average 
clothing expenditures were only $34.36 for the husbands and $26.94 
for the wives in white families, and $28.92 for husbands and $25.23 for 
wives in colored families. These averages are far below the cost stand- 
ards described above as absolutely necessary minimum expenditures for 
healthy and decent clothing. For the sake of brevity this analysis has 



112 BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

been limited to husbands and wives. The expenditures for children 
were correspondingly low. 

As incomes increased, expenditures for care in sickness increased, 
which suggests that among poorer families such expenditures as are 
made are inadequate and the results "detrimental to the health of the 
individual sufferers, and the welfare of the community." 

Practically only free amusements are indulged in by families of the 
low-income groups. Of 83 families receiving incomes of less than $600 a 
year, only 35 incurred any direct expenditures for amusements. Amuse- 
ment, however, is a necessity in normal life, and the New York Factory 
Investigating Committee allowed $50 a year as a normal expenditure for 
recreation and amusement. The average expenditure for amusements 
per family was $12.70 and for vacations $32.39, or $45.09 for both items. 



BUDGET PROPOSED BY SEATTLE AND TACOMA, WASH- 
INGTON, STREET RAILWAY EMPLOYES. 



BRIEF ON BEHALF OF EMPLOYES. 

IN RE ARBITRATION OF THE MATTERS NOW IN CONTROVERSY BE- 
TWEEN THE PUGET SOUND TRACTION, LIGHT & POWER COMPANY, 
THE TACOMA RAILWAY & POWER COMPANY AND THEIR EM- 
PLOYES, 



BEFORE 



DR. HENRY SUZZALLO 
JAMES A. DUNCAN 

and 
C. J. FRANKLIN. 



In the course of the arbitration proceedings between the Seattle and 
Tacoma street railway companies and their employes, the attorneys 
for the employes, Reynolds and Harrow, submitted in their brief a 
minimum budget for the street railway workers, based on evidence 
which had been placed before the Board of Arbitration. After com- 
piling retail prices, they weighted the prices of food and fuel according 
to the Washington State Bureau of Labor budget (^). 

Applying the average prices obtained from the foregoing table to the 
quantities for a family of five, taken from the Government Bulletin, and 
as followed by the State Labor Commissioner, we have the following: 



See pages 99-101. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 
GROCERIES AND MILK. 



113 



200 lbs. sugar, granulated cane, @ 9.3c per lb. 
14 sacks of flour, fancy patent, 49 lb. @ $3.14 

2 sacks of corn meal 10 lbs. @ 7.65c 

75 lbs. rolled oats, bulk @ 6Kc 

8 cwt. potatoes, white, @ $2.25 per cwt 

25 lbs. beans, navy, @ 19c 

26 lbs. onions @ 6.5c 

12 lbs. barley, pearl, @ 12%c 

10 lbs. split peas @ 12 2-3c 

22 lbs, rice, Japan, @ 8.95c 

80 lbs. butter, creamery, @ 50.1c 

25 lbs. butter, ranch, @ 44.17c 

30 lbs. soda crackers @ 16.4c 

80 doz. eggs, fresh, @ 51.71c 

4 lbs. macaroni @ 9.58c 

20 lbs. cheese, American, @ 30.4c 

6 lbs. cheese, Swiss (imp.) @ 38 Kc 

12 lbs. raisins, seedless, @ 15c 

20 lbs. dried prunes @ 15Kc 

8 doz. lemons @ 35c 

3 gals, syrup, corn, @ 84c 

10 lbs. comb honey @ 20.8c 

3 gals, pickles, sour, @ 55c 

3 gals, vinegar, cider, @ 45c 

18 cans canned tomatoes, No. 2, @ 19.8c 

22 cans canned corn. No. 2, @ 18Kc 

20 cans canned peas @ 17Kc 

9 cans canned beans, No. 2, @ 14.9c 

3 lbs. baking soda @ 8 l-9c 

9 lbs. baking powder, cream tartar, @ 38 l-3c 

12 lbs. corn starch @ 11.6c 

50 lbs. carrots @ 2 2-3c 

35 lbs. cabbage @ 2Kc : . . . . 

40 lbs. coffee @ 32'Ac 

10 lbs. tea, medium grade @ 53 l-3c 

12 pints tomato catsup @ 23 l-3c 

20 lbs. salt @ 2.28c 

85 bars soap @ 6.3c 

Vegetables 

Fruit 

Milk 

Total 



$ 18 


60 


43 


96 




77 


4 


88 


18 


00 


4 


75 


1 


77 


1 


52 


1 


27 


1 


97 


40.08 


11 


04 


4 


92 


41 


37 




38 


6 


08 


2 


30 


1 


80 


3 


10 


2 


80 


2 


52 


2 


08 


1 


65 


1 


35 


3 


56 


4 


13 


3 


50 


1 


34 




24 


3 


45 


1 


39 


1 


34 




96 


13.00 


5 


33 


2 


50 




46 


5 


42 


20.00 


15 


00 


46 


.65 



$347.53 



MEAT AND FISH. 



75 lbs. lard @ 27.92c 




$ 20.94 

1.17 

1.01 

6.18 

17.66 

7.32 

2.74 

30.30 

15.10 

28.50 

9.44 

14.38 

19.26 

7.03 

12.34 






5 cans canned clams, No. 1, @ 20.26c 




24 lbs. canned salmon, No. 1, @ 24^c 




40 lbs. smoked bacon @ 44.14c. . . 




20 lbs. smoked ham @ 36.62c 




10 lbs. smoked shoulder @ 27 Ac 




150 lbs. roast beef @ 20.2c 




100 lbs. boiling meat @ 15.1c 




120 lbs. steak @ 23^c 




40 lbs. veal @ 23.6c ' 




50 lbs. mutton @ 28Kc 




60 lbs. pork @ 32.1c 




25 lbs, poultry @ 28.3c 




68 lb?, fresh fish @ 18.15c 






$347.53 
193.42 


$193.42 


Total meat and fish 


Total groceries, meat and fish 


$540.95 
59.70 


Fuel 


Total food and fuel 


$600.65 





114 BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

CLOTHING FOR FAMILY. 

Mr. R. G. Sharp, an attorney in the employ of the defendant com- 
panies, allowed $200 as a sum sufficient to provide clothing for an entire 
family and divided it among four people — husband, wife and two children. 

To take an arbitrary sum as the cost of clothing, and then divide the 
items which are properly considered as a part of family clothing, so as 
to come within that sum, is wholly unfair. It is deciding in advance 
of obtaining the facts; it is drawing the conclusion before ascertaining 
the premise. We claim that the only fair method of determining the 
cost of family apparel is to consider item by item the things necessary, 
and after the items have been agreed upon, and the fair prices ascer- 
tained, then total the cost of the items. The result will be the fair sum 
to be allowed. Any other procedure may result in injustice. If the sum 
chosen in the first instance is in excess of the proper amount, then items 
will be added in order to make up the amount. If, on the other hand, 
the sum is less than the fair amount necessary, items will be removed in 
order to bring the total cost within the amount allowed. As an illus- 
tration, the allowance of $2 for one underskirt, as the proper number of 
underskirts, and the correct amount to be allowed for a woman for the 
period of one year, is entirely insufficient. Common decency and clean- 
liness will demand more than one underskirt for a woman for the period 
of one year, and yet Mr. Sharp has allowed only one underskirt and fixed 
the price thereof at the sum of $2. Other illustrations could be made 
from Mr. Sharp's budget. We feel that Mr. Sharp's whole testimony 
is unreliable. In the first place, he showed himself entirely ignorant of 
the subject, his whole testimony being based upon the veriest hearsay. 
The employes, however, presented witnesses who testified from their 
actual experience. Of course, this Board of Arbitration will follow testi- 
mony drawn from actual experience in preference to mere hearsay. 
We, therefore, claim that the testimony of wives of motormen and con- 
ductors was by far the best evidence produced on the subject of women's 
apparel, and of apparel for children. It is even less than what should 
be allowed. It does not provide for an Easter bonnet, an Easter dress, 
or for any of the items dear to a woman's heart. We, therefore, discard 
Mr. Sharp's whole testimony on this subject as unreliable and unfair, 
and far below the amount common decency and humanity require. 
The sums allowed for women's apparel are as follows: 

Mrs. Charles J. Hopwood. Tacoma $162 . 50 

Mrs. C. A. Sturmer, Tacoma 155.55 

Mrs. J. C. Bumgarner, Seattle 192 . 40 

Mrs. Peterson. Seattle 196 . 40 

Mrs. J. C. Nelson, Seattle 1 74 . 95 

$882.35 

This amount of $882.35, divided by five, gives an average of $174.47 
as the amount for a woman's clothing for a year. 

The sums allowed for a girl of twelve years for a year are as follows: 

Mrs. Charles J. Hopwood, Tacoma $ 91 . 85 

Mrs. C. A. Sturmer, Tacoma 91.60 

Mrs. Peterson, Seattle 79.15 

Mrs. J. C. Bumgarner, Seattle 99 . 65 

$362.25 

making an average of $90.56 for a girl's clothing. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 115 

The sums allowed for a boy of fourteen years for a year are as follows : 

Mrs. Charles J. Hopwood , Tacoma $ 63 . 05 

Mrs. C. A. Sturmer, Tacoma 61.10 

Mrs. Bumgarner, Seattle 74. 70 

Mrs. Peterson, Seattle 87 . 65 

Mrs. J. C. Nelson, Seattle 93 . 70 

$380.20 

making an average of $76.04 for a boy's clothing for a year. 

The witnesses who testified with reference to the men's clothing were 
Mr. Wallace and Mr. Morgan. Prices were obtained from McCormack 
Bros, and Dixon Bros., clothing concerns in Tacoma, and Mr. Wallace 
also obtained figures from Seattle. Mr. Morgan testified that $247.95 
was the price of items obtained from McCormack Bros., and $167.85 
from Dixon Bros., and Mr. Wallace testified to $129.20 as obtained in 
the city of Seattle, but neglected to include a sweater, a mackinaw and 
an umbrella. We will include these items: 

A sweater $ 7 . 00 

Mackinaw 8 . 00 

Umbrella 2 . 50 

Total $17.50 

making a total for Mr. Wallace of $146.70. 

The average expenditure is the sum of $187.50 a year for a man's 
clothing. 

FAMILY UNIT. 

The clothing for two children, instead of three, has been taken. The 
universal family unit, however, throughout the United States, is five* 
The gradual decrease in the size of the family, we contend, is the result 
of the increased struggle required by parents to feed, clothe and educate 
their children. On the present wage and present prices a man hesitates 
to marry, and married people to rear children. For a street car employe 
to bring children into the world to suffer the privations required by the 
present wage and cost of living is sufficient to give pause to any human 
being. If industrial conditions are to mean an unending struggle for 
sheer existence, culminating in positive poverty for old age, we must at 
least sympathize with the point of view of the employe who refuses to 
marry, or of the married employe who refuses to bring children into the 
world to add to his present privations. As we have pointed out in our 
opening statement, the law of the State encourages the rearing of chil- 
dren. We submit this matter to the good judgment and common sense 
of the Board of Arbitration. We contend that a family of five is the 
proper unit, and that to limit the family budget to a family of four, or a 
family of three, is establishing a principle that is not for the best interest 
of our State and country. 



116 BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

PROPER AND NECESSARY EQUIPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A 
HOME ACCORDING TO A REASONABLE STANDARD OF LIVING. 

Mr. Gottstein, of the Gottstein Furniture Company, testified that $5 
a month, or $60 a year, was the minimum that could be allowed to main- 
tain the furniture In the home. Mr. Sharp has allowed $30 a year to 
cover this Item. Mr. Gottstein testified that he has had actual experi- 
ence In selling home equipment to street car people, and that from his 
experience he gave his testimony. Mr. Sharp has had no actual ex- 
perience. It would seem that If this Is to be determined from the testi- 
mony the sum of $60 at least should be allowed for the proper mainten- 
ance of the household equipment. 



EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. 

The education of children Is compulsory In this State. School books 
are free, but school books do not cover the entire cost of education of 
children. Personal experience proves to the contrary. Whether the 
child is attending kindergarten, grammar school, high school, or the 
university, entertainments and social obligations that the child must 
meet require the expenditure of a small sum each month. One dollar 
per month will not cover fully this Item. We will, however, allow the 
sum of one dollar per month, or $12 per year to cover cost Incident to the 
education of children. Schools create a taste for reading, which results 
in the requirement of books outside of the books furnished in the school. 
While we suggest the foregoing allowance for education of children, we 
do so with knowledge that the actual expenditure will exceed that 
amount. 



DENTISTRY, MEDICINE, GLASSES AND SICKNESS. 

Witnesses testified as to the amount required to be expended for these 
Items. No two families will expend the same amount. Mrs. Hannan 
testified that It cost her family approximately $10 a month. Mr. Sharp 
has allowed the sum of $25 a year, or $2.08 a month. This sum is, on 
its face, far too small to cover the average cost of dentistry and sickness . 
Ten dollars per month In some families would be more than is necessary. 
If one child is born Into the family, the expenditure for the year would 
exceed this amount in view of other probable costs for sickness during 
the same year. We will allow for these requirements the sum of $60 
a year, or $5 per month. This sum clearly Is very moderate for that 
purpose. Many families will far exceed It, and very few will fail to 
exhaust it. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



117 



DUES TO CHURCHES OR FRATERNAL SOCIETIES. 

The testimony has shown that approximately 33% of the employes 
in the city of Seattle belong to some church, and a larger percentage 
belong to fraternal societies. The minimum dues for membership in a 
fraternal society, which is not optional, exceed the sum of $1 per month. 
Some fraternal societies having the insurance feature charge considerably 
more than $1, some less than $1. One dollar per month certainly is a 
very moderate sum to allow for this item. We will, however, adopt it 
and allow $12 per year for church and fraternal societies. 

ADEQUATE INSURANCE. 

Three witnesses have testified on this subject, two for the employes 
and one for the companies. Happily these three agreed upon the amount 
that should be taken out of the wage each month for insurance. Mr. 
Dwight Mead, witness for the companies, testified that 10% should be 
allowed. Mr. Hughes and Mr. Silliman testified to the same effect. 
This amount we think is fair and reasonable for insurance. We are 
willing to accept less, on the basis of a flat allowance of $10 per month 
for insurance. The allowance will purchase insurance in the amounts 
set forth in the following table, beginning with the age of twenty-one 
years : 



21 years @ $19.60 per thousand 

22 years @ 20.05 per thousand 

23 years @ 20.50 per thousand 

24 years @ 20.95 per thousand 

25 years @ 21.45 per thousand 

26 years @ 22.00 per thousand 

27 years @ 25.55 per thousand 

28 years @ 23.15 per thousand 

29 years @ 23.75 per thousand 

30 years @ 24.35 per thousand 

31 years @ 25.00 per thousand 

32 years @ 25.70 per thousand 

33 years @ 26.45 per thousand 

34 years @ 27.35 per thousand 

35 years @ 28.10 per thousand 

36 years @ 28.95 per thousand 

37 years @ 29.85 per thousand 

38 years @ 30.80 per thousand 

39 years @ 31.80 per thousand 

40 years @ 32.90 per thousand 

41 years @ 34.10 per thousand 

42 years @ 35.35 per thousand 

43 years @ 36.65 per thousand 

44 years @ 38.05 per thousand 

45 years @ 39.55 per thousand 

46 years @ 41.14 per thousand 

47 years @ 42.80 per thousand 

48 years @ 44.55 per thousand 

49 years @ 46.35 per thousand 

50 years @ 48.30 per thousand 

51 years @ 50.35 per thousand 

52 years @ 52.55 per thousand 

53 years @ 54.90 per thousand 

54 years @ 57.40 per thousand 

55 years @ 60.06 per thousand 

56 years @ 62.85 per thousand 

57 years @ 65.85 per thousand 

58 years @ 69.05 per thousand 

59 years @ 72.45 per thousand 

60 years @ 76.05 per thousand 



$6,125 
5,975 
5,850 
5,725 
5,580 
5,450 
5,340 
5,190 
5,060 
4,940 
4,800 
4.675 
4,530 
4,400 
4,275 
4,160 
4,025 
3,910 
3,775 
3,650 
3,530 
3,400 
3,278 
3.150 
3,040 
2,920 
2,805 
2,690 
2,595 
2,485 
2,390 
2,280 
2,190 
2,090 
2,000 
1.920 
1,850 
1,740 
1.660 
1,575 



We, therefore, allow for the item of insurance the sum of $120 per 
annum as a very modest sum for that purpose. 



118 BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

READING MATTER AND MUSIC FOR THE HOME AND SOME AMUSEMENTS 
FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN. 

Under this heading we will include toys for the children, and music 
and reading matter for the home. The local dailies delivered to the home 
on the basis of annual subscription w^ill cost as follows: 

1. Post-Intelligencer, $9.00 per year. 

2. Seattle Daily Times, 9.00 per year. 

3. Seattle Star, 3.50 per year. 

Any good magazine will cost $1.20 per year. A musical instrument, 
together with music, in the home will cost $12 per year approximately. 
Toys for the children will cost not less than $6 per year. The total 
expenditure for these items, without extravagance, is as follows: 

Newspapers (allowed by Mr. Sharp, including magazine) $12.00 

Musical Instruments (including music) 12.00 

Toys, etc. , for children 6 . 00 

Total $30 . 00 

GAS. 

Mr. Sharp allows $10 per year for gas. From experience we know that 
this sum falls far short of the necessary yearly expenditure for gas in a 
home under present prices. Mr. Sharp probably does not know that the 
price of gas has been increased. From figures we have been able to 
obtain, we feel that the sum of $22.16 should be allowed for this item. 

PROFIT TO PROVIDE FOR INCAPACITY OF OLD AGE. 

How rarely do we ever associate the employe with profits over the 
necessities of life! How rarely do we ever contemplate the business man 
apart from his profits! "How is business?" is the usual salutation. 
Around the word "profits" are centered the very lives of thousands of 
Americans. Profit is the amount left in the hands of the business man 
after all the costs of doing business have been paid. Profit to the em- 
ploye is the amount of his wages left in his hands after paying all the 
costs of living. If the employe is not to be a charge upon the State 
when he reaches the point of incapacity as the result of age, he must 
have profits. Some countries recognize this truism and old age pensions 
are provided. Our Government has not recognized it, and as a result 
the broken-down employe is left in old age at the mercy of charity. 

If a man out of his wages can save $10 per month, at the end of the 
first year he will have accumulated $120, and if thereafter every year he 
is permitted to save $120 and his savings are placed at 4% interest, 
compounded semi-annually, at the expiration of ten years he will have 
the sum of $1,442.30; at the expiration of twenty years, $3,592.81; 
at the expiration of thirty years, $6,779.67; at the expiration of forty 
years, $11,538.46. In the interim of accumulation he will be protected 
by insurance. The sum of $120 per year for profit is certainly not 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



119 



exorbitant. If you ask the average working man what he is making, 
he says, "Oh, I am making a Hving." What did the slave make? — 
a Hving. It is our contention that the employe is entitled to something 
more than a living. For this item we ask that he be allowed to make as 
a profit the sum of $120 per year. If this allowance is made it will give 
the very saving and the very ambitious a chance in the world. He can 
deny himself even the necessities of life to get to a position of safety. 
It will make the job held by the employe worth something. We will 
therefore allow this i^em which Mr. Sharp has omitted. 

HOUSE RENT, CAR FARE AND TOBACCO. 

We will agree with Mr. Sharp in his allowance of $15 per month, in- 
cluding water, as the amount to be allowed for rent, and fix the sum of 
$180 per year to cover that item. We also accept his allowance of 
$65 for street car fare. Mr. Sharp has allowed the sum of $6.20 per year 
for tobacco. To this we add the same amount for the wife for. ice 
cream, candy, etc., making a total of $12.40. 

COST OF LIVING FOR FAMILY OF FIVE PERSONS. 



Groceries, meats and fish 

Fuel 


$ 540.95 
59.70 

174.47 
90.56 
76.04 
83.30 

187.50 
60.00 
12.00 
12.00 
60.00 

120.00 
30.00 

120.00 
22.16 
12.00 

180.00 
65.00 
12.20 


Clothing for wife 


Clothing for girl of 12 years 

Clothing for boy of 14 years 

Clothing for extra child 




Maintenance household equipment 




Dues to church or fraternal society .... 




Insurance 




Savings for old age 


Gas for household use 


Electric light 


Rent and water 




Tobacco, ice cream, etc 

Total 


$1,917.88 





120 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



6.— BUDGET AWARDED TO SEATTLE AND TACOMA, WASH- 
INGTON, STREET RAILWAY EMPLOYES. 

The Board of Arbitration referred to in the previous section awarded 
the following minimum budget as the basis of its wage award: 



FINDINGS OF THE BOARD OF ARBITRATION APPOINTED TO DETERMINE 
MATTERS IN CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE PUGET SOUND TRAC- 
TION, LIGHT & POWER CO., THE TACOMA RAILWAY & 
POWER COMPANY AND THEIR EMPLOYES. 



-Fish. 



Grocer ies — M eat- 

Fuel 

Clothing — man 

Clothing — woman 

Clothing — girl of 8 or 9 

Clothing — boy of 14 

Clothing — boy of 5 or 6 

Maintenance of household equipment . 

Education 

Church — Fraternal dues 

Medicine — doctor, dentist 

Insurance 

Reading matter, music 

Savings 

Gas 



Electric light 

Rent and water 

Street car fare 

Tobacco, ice cream 

Recreation — movies, etc 

Incidentals — stamps, barber, etc . 
Miscellaneous 



Total $1,505.60 



$533 


40 


60 


00 


90 


50 


87 


00 


32 


50 


48 


50 


33 


00 


40 


00 


11 


00 


20.00 


60 


00 


30 


00 


* 




100.00 


20.00 


15 


00 


184.00 


35 


70 


30.00 


30 


00 


25 


00 


20 


00 


$1,505.60 



*See Education. 



Minimum Comfort Budget 
for one year for a 
family of five. 



TOTAL BUDGET 



Clothing 


$ 291.50 
533 . 40 
366.00 
314.70 


Food 




Rent, etc - - - 




Total 


$1,505.60 





REMARKS ON TOTAL BUDGET. 



This budget may be called a minimum comfort budget and is slightly 
higher than a minimum health budget. Various minimum health bud- 
gets have been constructed and vary slightly from city to city and 
significantly from year to year as the cost of living rivSes. The minimum 
comfort budget has been rarely set by experts. Theoretically such a 
standard would vary according to the definition of comfort of the par- 
ticular investigator. Practically such varying levels are not as great 
as would seem theoretically because minimum comfort budgets, actually 
existing, group around a definite level. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



121 



The accompanying budget is not one for an ideal family. The ideal 
wife is one who wastes no calories in food preparation and one having 
the expert knowledge of sewing of a graduate in domestic economy; 
but few actual wives have had the benefit of such education. 

The budget is, however, a generalized budget. Thus some men 
smoke and some do not. The item for smoking should be generalized 
very much as the statistical term, the arithmetic mean, is a generalized 
term. 

Actual budgets vary around a particular definite level, just as men 
vary in stature and weight. Particular extremes are therefore not cited ; 
but the items have been set near an approximate arithmetic mean of 
budgets, many of which have been collected from existing families; 
although there is some argument for setting items nearer the upper 
variations than near the mean. 

The budget is for a family of five. Three children are chosen for 
various reasons, (a) Three children at least are necessary for the race 
to perpetuate itself, (b) Federal and state experts do not make out 
budgets for less than families of five; thus, neither public nor expert 
opinion sanctions a smaller standard, (c) Standards of a warring and 
industrially competing nation would seem to demand three children as 
a minimum, (d) Unmarried men are less desirable than married men, 
individually and socially, physically and morally; and the economic 
barrier to marriage is recognized as an important one. (e) The family 
of five, while larger than the average in the company's employ, may 
nevertheless be taken as the standard family of workmen receiving the 
maximum hourly rate, and the lower differentials worked out from this 
rate. 



REMARKS ON CLOTHING BUDGET. 

The clothing estimates are made on the assumption that the wife 
does some sewing and remaking of some garments for the children. 
The figures are based on estimates of the life of garments to fractions of 
years. The clothing is also for a generalized family. 

CLOTHING. 



Man — 
Top coats (mackinaw-overcoat, sweater) . . . 

Suits (uniform, suit, extra trousers) 

Shoes (and repairs) 

Overshoes 

Underwear (woolen and cotton) 

Night garments 

Hats (uniform cap and hat) 

Shirts (flannel and cotton) 

Sox 

Gloves (average conductor and motorman) 

Ties, collars and handkerchiefs 

Suspenders and garters 

Incidentals (cuff buttons, brush, etc.) 

Total 



$ 12.50 


34.00 


14.00 


1.50 


6.00 


1.50 


3.00 


6.50 


3.00 


5.00 


2.00 


1.00 


.50 


$90.50 



122 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 
CLOTHING— Continued. 



Woman-^ 

Top coat 

Suits 

Shoes (and repairs) 

Rubbers 

Underwear 

Nightgowns 

Underskirt 

Corset 

Kimono 

Waists 

House dresses 

Street dress 

Hats 

Gloves 

Incidentals (veils, pins, purse, brush, slippers, hndkfs., etc.) 

Stockings 

Aprons 

Umbrella 

Total 



$ 8 00 

12.50 

14.00 

.50 

5.00 

3.00 

2.00 

3.00 

.50 

4.50 

5.00 

7.50 

9.00 

2.50 

4.50 

2.50 

2.00 

1.00 

$87.00 



Boy of 13 or 14 years — 
Top coat (mackinaw and sweater) 

Suit (and trousers) . 

Shoes (and repairs) 

Underwear 

Night garments 

Hats 

Shirts 

Stockings 

Ties, handkerchiefs, etc 

Total 




Girl of 8 or 9 years — 
Top coat ( and sweater) . . . 

Shoes (and repairs) 

Underwaists and garters. . 
Dresses (school and best) . . 
Petticoat (or bloomers) . . . 

Night garments 

Hats 

Stockings 

Ribbons and handkerchiefs 

Umbrella 

Underwear 

Total 




Boy of 5 or 6 years — 

Top coat (and sweater) 

Shoes (and repairs) 

Suits (wash, best and coveralls) 

Rubbers 

Underwaists and garters 

Night garments 

Hats (and caps) 

Waists (and blouses) 

Mittens, ties, handkerchiefs 

Stockings 

Underwear 

Total 




BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



123 



REMARKS ON FOOD BUDGET. 

Various dietaries with differing proportions of meats, vegetables, 
fats, etc., have been constructed and each totals nearly the same figure. 
The calorie requirements are slightly over 12,000 a week for a family of 
five, distributed as follows: man, 3,400; woman, 2,700; boy of thirteen 
or fourteen, 2,700; girl of eight or nine, 2,000; boy of five or six, 1,500. 
The figure for meat is a little lower than is actually found among the 
carmen's families, but it is quite probable that during war time the item 
for meat will become progressively lower. 



FOOD 

Cereal 

Vegetables 

Fruit 

Meat and meat substitutes 

Flour 

Bread 

Fats 

Sugar 

Milk 

Coffee and tea 

Total 



$ 26 


00 


78 


00 


41 


60 


98 


80 


16 


64 


52 


00 


93 


60 


23 


40 


87 


36 


16 


00 


$533 


40 



REMARKS ON SUNDRIES. 

The insurance and savings item is larger than actually occurs, due 
probably to the fact that expenses and wages do not at present permit 
saving. The item is conservatively low. Medical and dental care 
varies widely, but $60 seems to be near the present average. The 
miscellaneous item is included because it actually exists. 



SUNDRIES. 

Amusements (movies, vacations, picnics, etc.) 

Education and literature 

Insurance and savings 

Comforts (tobacco, candy, Christmas, etc.) 

Organizations 


$ 30.00 
11.00 
130.00 
30.00 
20.00 
60.00 
25.00 
40.00 
20.00 


Dental and medical care 


Household (furniture, laundry, tools etc.) 


Miscellaneous (exigencies and waste) 

Total 


$366.00 





REMARKS ON RENT, ETC. 



In some houses the water is not included in the rent, 
risen and the estimate is on the proposed raise. 



Gas has recently 



RENT, ETC. 
Rent and water 


$184.00 
20.00 
15.00 
60.00 
35.70 


Gas... . 


Light 


Fuel 


Car fare 


Total 


$314.70 





124 BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

REMARKS ON THE RATE OF WAGES TO BE SET, BASED ON THE 
STANDARD OF LIVING. 

The standard of living estimated for a carman's family is $1,520 a 
year at prevailing prices. If the employe six years and over with the 
company averages 288 hours of work a month, then his rate of pay 
should be 43 cents an hour in order to earn the standard of living wage. 
If the company maintains the present differential for years of service 
in the employ, then a man five years in the service should receive 41 
cents; one for four years, 40 cents; and so on, to 36 cents for the first 
six months of service. 

Light may be thrown on the wage increase from another angle, that 
of the correlation of rising prices and rising wages. A survey recently 
conducted in Seattle by the departments of Economics and Sociology 
of the University of Washington, for the United States Government, 
showed that for the eighteen months since June 1, 1916, the cost of liv- 
ing, including rent, fuel, sundries, food and clothing, had risen 34 per 
cent, and figures based on various prices indicated a continued rise of 
considerable magnitude for 1918, despite the efforts of Mr. Hoover. 
The maximum hourly rate of wages for carmen, June 1, 1916, was 31 
cents. If the carmen six years and over in the service maintain the same 
standard of living in October, 1917, that they had in June, 1916, the 
maximum rate should be 41.5 cents. This figure would represent a 
lowering of the standard of living from December 1, 1913, when the 31 
cent rate went into effect, because the cost of living has risen more since 
December 1, 1913, than it has since June 1, 1916. This figure of 41.5 
cents is estimated for October, 1917, a time when prices are less than they 
will be in the Spring of 1918. So even assuming a continuance of the 
same standard of living as formerly, the hourly wage should be somewhat 
above 41.5, probably several cents. Inquiry has recently been made 
of the foremost authority on prices in the United States as to the prob- 
able fall in prices after the war, or their probable continuance at a high 
level. The reply was that a definite prediction cannot be made, but the 
probabilities, he thought, were for continued high prices. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 125 

7.— HIGHER FOOD PRICES AND THE PROPER NUTRITION 
OF WORKINGMEN'S FAMILIES. 

(Report of Professor Jaffa of the University of California.) 

During September, 1917, an Arbitration Board which had been 
appointed to adjust the wages of employes of the street railways of Oak- 
land, California, requested Professor M. E. Jaffa, of the College of 
Agriculture, University of California, to submit for their information 
a report regarding the increase in cost of food during the preceding ten 
years. As several other members of the faculty of the University had 
been asked for similar reports. Professor Jaffa decided to leave the matter 
of the total family income to be discussed by the economists and to 
emphasize in his report the purely nutritional side of the problem. He 
arranged a table showing the approximate amounts of the different 
staple foods which form the diet of the average family. He then cal- 
culated the cost of this diet for the preceding ten years, and made his 
results the basis of an analysis of the increased cost of living and of the 
effect of rising prices upon the physical well-being of the worker and his 
family. 

"Food is no longer," he states, "considered as a mere appeaser of 
the appetite. It is now recognized, in its serious aspect, as a satisfier 
of the physiological needs of the body. These fundamental food needs 
do not vary with the income, but depend upon such things as growth, 
weight, and amount of work performed. It takes just as much milk 
to nourish the body of one baby as it does another, regardless of the 
father's earning capacity. A man engaged in heavy labor requires 
more food than does an office man, regardless of the difference in income. 
But the DIET is a different matter. One man may eat rib roast while 
another eats stew — but meat they both require. One may eat hot- 
house berries while the other eats dried apples — but fruit they both 
should have. In other words, a proper diet for any family should be 
drawn in right proportion and in adequate amounts from all five food 
classes, but for the family of small income the selection must be made, 
in large part, from the cheaper foods or grades of food in each class, and 
the quantity is usually found to be nearer to a minimum than can be 
considered desirable. 

"The following table shows the effect of increased prices on the total 
food cost for a family of small income. It expresses the average of 
many dietary studies of such families and has been modified just enough 
to overcome undesirable deficiencies due to enforced privations, and to 
meet the minimum demands for health and efficiency. 

"It can not be sufiiciently emphasized that while this type of diet has 
been selected as a working basis, it is not therefore to be considered a 
sufficient or an approved diet. Only a certain proportion of people can 
maintain health on a minimum — which provides only that amount of 
energy which the body actually puts forth in the processes of living and 
working It provides no safety factor, and allows for no individual 
differences. No person should be held down to a minimum when the 
appetite and apparent bodily needs seem to call for more A minimum 
expresses the line below which it is dangerous to go All the food which 
this diet calls for is necessary, but not necessarily all that is required. 



126 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



TABLE SHOWING INCREASE IN COST OF FOOD FROM 
MAY, 1907, TO MAY, 1907. 

MINIMUM DIET ON WHICH HEALTH CAN BE MAINTAINED FOR A WORKINGMAN, HIS 
WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN BETWEEN FOUR AND FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE. 



Food Materials. 



Class I — 

Meat and Fi.sh 

Milk 

Eggs 

Beans 

Class II— 

Flour 

Cereals 

Macaroni 

Rice 

Class Ill- 
Potatoes 

Vegetables 

Fruits 

Class IV— 

Butter 

Oils and Fats 

Class V— 

Sugar 

Extras — 

Coffee and Tea 

Sundries 

Total, per month 



Food and Cost for 1 Month 




Market Price per Pound. 1 


Pounds 


1907 


1912 


1916 


1917 


1907 


1912 


1916 


1917 


50 

120 

6 

8 


$5 . 75 

4.80 

.81 

.40 


S7.25 

4.80 

1.12 

.40 


S8.00 

4.80 

1.08 

.40 


SSIO.OO 
6.00 
1.56 
1,60 


$0,115 
.040 
.135 
.050 


$0,145 
.040 
.170 
.050 


$0,160 
.040 
.180 
.050 


$0,200 
.050 
.260 
.020 


60 

17 

4 

.0 


1.88 
.49 
.28 
.60 


1.92 

.77 
.32 
.60 


1.92 

1.02 

.32 

.60 


4,80 

1.36 

.50 

.83 


.031 
.029 
.070 
.060 


.032 
.045 
.070 
.060 


.032 
.060 
.080 
.060 


.080 
.080 
.125 
.083 


35 
55 
50 


.70 
1.38 
2.25 


1.05 
1.65 
2.50 


1.05 
1.65 
2.50 


2.17 
1.65 
2.50 


.020 
.025 
.045 


.033 
.030 
.050 


.030 
.030 
.050 


.062 
.030 
.050 


8 
10 


2.29 
1.35 


2.55 
1.90 


2.40 
2.00 


3.60 
2.50 


.286 
.135 


.320 
.176 


.300 
.200 


.450 
.250 


25 


1.38 


1.53 


1.75 


2.25 


.055 


.060 


.070 


.090 


2 


.73 
2.00 


1.00 
2.30 


1.00 
2.50 


1.00 
3.00 


.20 


.300 


.300 


.300 


$27.09 


$29 . 66 


$32.99 


$45.32 



Sundries include yeast, corn starch, cocoa, cheese, syrup, salt, etc. 



A study of this table shows that the cost of food for the family diet 
here presented has gone up, in ten years, from $27.00 to $45.00 — an 
increase of upwards of 67 per cent. Staggering as these figures are 
when considered in connection with a stationary income, the increase 
shown in the last year is by far most serious. It is quite evident that 
the increased cost of nearly $18.23 shown in the table could not have 
been met by many families under discussion. It will be necessary, then, 
to consider what adjustments have been made, and the effect of these 
adjustments upon the health of the family. 

Much has been accomplished by many people by substituting one 
food for another as prices have changed. Some of this has been legiti- 
mate and helpful— some has been unwise and detrimental. 

The extent to which substitution can be practiced depends almost 
entirely upon the type of the original diet, and this, in turn, depends 
upon the income. Not only is the total supply of food more generous 
on the large income, representing the maximum for health rather than 
the minimum, but the distribution of foods in the various classes is 
different. On a low income, people can afford only a small quantity of 
the concentrated foods, meat, eggs, butter, and sugar, the largest pro- 
portion of their diet coming from the starchy foods which are "bulky," 
and furnish the cheapest form of nourishment for the money expended. 
As the income goes up and people are free to exercise their instinctive 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 127 

choice, the use of meat, eggs, butter, sugar, etc., increases, and the 
starchy foods are decreased and replaced in part by the other class of 
bulky foods — fruits and vegetables, which are more expensive for the 
nourishment they contain, and are, therefore, not used freely by poorer 
people. We have, then, two very different types of diet to consider. 
Let us see what happens to each when prices rise: 

MEAT. 

When meat increases in price, the well-to-do, who have usually bought 
a large proportion of choice cuts, can substitute inferior ones on some 
days, use beans occasionally, or reduce their meat quantity somewhat. 
Where cheap meats, however, have been the rule, and where beans have 
always been used for economy, there is no recourse but to pay the price 
or go without. And when, at the same time, beans jump nearly three - 
hundred per cent, the detrimental form o^ substitution begins, and 
starchy foods and inadequate amounts of milk or cheese are substituted 
for protein. One food can not be used with safety to replace another 
unless it is in the same class, as each of the five classes have important 
and different uses in the body. 

POTATOES. 

Again, when potatoes increase in price, most people used rice or 
macaroni as a substitute, although potato is a vegetable and not a 
cereal food. Here again the well-to-do suffered no harm. Their supply 
of other vegetables, as well as fruit, was enough for their physiological 
needs. But the people on a minimum diet have always depended upon 
potatoes very largely to furnish that fresh quality, and those special 
minerals so important to health. They have never afforded much other 
vegetable, nor do these others furnish the amount of nourishment in 
addition to the hygienic values, that potatoes do. Therefore, people of 
small income suffered in health. That this form of substitution was 
detrimental was shown in several institutions where this form of economy 
caused a decided increase in the drug bills. 

SUGAR. 

There is no cheap substitute for sugar, and when this food became 
expensive, the quantit}^ was reduced and nothing was substituted. 

As the maximum and medium diets provide good amounts of all 
forms of concentrated foods, a moderate reduction in quantity of one 
kind, or several, can be made without injury to health. But where the 
diet is already low, the loss of nourishment is keenly felt, and when all 
other forms of concentrated foods are also expensive, no adequate sub- 
stitution can be made. 



128 BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

The scheme works like this: 

Cereal food forms the cheapest and largest part of the diet. The 
price rises, and the pocket book is strained. 

Meat and beans increase in price, and people are told to eat more 
cereals. Result: more bulky food, unbalanced diet, less nour- 
ishment, but more expense. 

Butter increases in price. The supply is cut down. People are 
told that other foods can provide the nourishment. Result: more 
bulk, less balance, and less nourishment. 

Sugar increases in price. Amount is cut down and nothing is 
substituted. 

Milk increases in price. Amount is cut down and nothing is 
substituted. Result: more loss of protein and of fat. 

Cereals rise again. There is no cheaper food, and nothing can 
be substituted. 

Where the income is small this process soon drains the diet of those 
foods which are most essential to health, and forces it down below the 
danger line. 

The accompanying chart^ will help to illustrate how the high food 
prices have affected the diets of families of varying incomes. 

After pointing out many popular misconceptions as to the increased 
cost of living. Professor Jaffa concludes with an unusually strong point: 
"A great many persons," he states, "tend to ignore a small percentage 
of advance in price of a particular foodstuff which as a matter of fact 
may be very serious because of the importance of the food or the fre- 
quent use of it, while, on the other hand, great stress is often laid on a 
spectacular rise in price of a food which may be used only occasionally 
and, as a consequence, adds little to the total food cost of a family." 



8.— INCREASED LIVING COSTS, 1916-1917. 

An employer of labor requested the University of California Agri- 
cultural Experiment Station for an estimate of the increased cost of 
living which he might use as a basis for adjustment of wages with his 
employes. Accordingly, Professor M. E. Jaffa, to another branch of 
whose work reference has just been made, prepared a statement 
(which has been printed as a bulletin of the Agricultural Experiment 
Station) showing for an average family the increase in cost of living from 
May, 1916, to May, 1917. 

"It is impossible," Professor Jaffa states, "to estimate the expenses 
of any family without knowing all the conditions, but there are certain 
fixed items of expense, and the percentage of increase in cost is known 
for others. These form a good basis for calculation in regard to the 
effect of high prices on the mode of living of a family of small income 
and will be discussed in turn. The accompanying table shows how the 
varying prices of foodstuffs affect the total food cost." 

(l) See pages 4. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES, 



129 



TABLE SHOWING INCREASE IN COST OF FOOD FROM 
MAY, 1916, TO MAY, 1917. 

MINIMUM DIET ON WHICH HEALTH CAN BE MAINTAINED FOR A WORKINGMAN. HIS 
WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN BETWEEN FOUR AND FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE. 





Food and Cost for 1 Month 


Market Price per Pound. 


Pounds. 


1916 


1917 


May 
1916 


May 
1917 




50 
120 

6 

8 
.60 
17 

4 
10 
35 
55 
50 

8 
10 
25 


$8.00 
4.80 
1.08 
.40 
1.92 
1.02 
.32 
.60 
1.05 
1.65 
2.50 
2.40 
2.00 
1.75 
1.00 
2.50 


$10.00 
6.00 
1.56 
1.60 
4.80 
1.36 
.50 
.83 
2.17 
1.65 
2.50 
3.60 
2.50 
2.25 
1.00 
3.00 


$0.16 
.04 
.18 
.05 
.032 
.06 
.08 
.06 
.03 
.03 
.05 
.30 
.20 
.07 
.30 


$0.20 
.05 
.26 
.20 
.08 
.08 
.125 
.083 
.062 
.03 
.05 
.45 
.25 
.09 
.30 


Milk 


Eggs 


Beans 


Flour 


Cereals 




Rice 


Potatoes 




Fruits 


Butter 


Oil and fats 


Sugar 


Coffee and tea 


Sundries 




First total 




month, 
month. 




$32.99 

2.55 


$45.32 per 
3.25 


Extra for man 




Second total 




$35.54 
.237 


$48.57 per 
.324 











"The first total is adequate if the man of the family is engaged in 
ordinary labor. The second total allows for 1,000 calories extra food for 
heavy work. If the labor performed is that o^ a lumberman or harvest 
hand, a further increase of three and a quarter dollars is necessary. 

"Additional children will add the following amounts to the food bud- 
get: 



Between 3 and 6 years . 
Between 6 and 9 years . 
Between 9 and 13 years . 

A girl over 13 years 

A boy over 13 years .... 



$ 5.70 per month 

6.75 per month 

7.90 per month. 

9.00 per month 

10.50 to $11.00 per month, 



"The item of 'Sundries' includes such articles as corn starch, syrup, 
cheese, salt, pepper, mustard, yeast, etc. 

"The diet here presented expresses the minimum on which health and 
efficiency can be maintained. It admits of many rearrangements be- 
tween the staples of the same class, according to the preference? of people 
of different nationalities; more macaroni, less rice; more vegetables, 
less fruit; more meat and less milk; but no appreciable variations could 
be made in the cost without a corresponding decrease in the nourish- 
ment. In view of this fact the increase in cost of 33^/2 per cent is serious. 

"It is unnecessary to say that many families live on much less than 
the diet given, which may account for a large proportion of stunted 
children, many diseases, early death or inefficiency. 

"Clothing. — This item of expense varies greatly according to the 
ages of the children and the ability of the family to live up to any kind 
nf a standard. But the increase averages 33V3 per cent. The most 



130 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



important item under this heading is shoes, the price of which has in- 
creased in greater proportion than that of other articles of clothing. It 
is impossible to reduce the cost of shoes, as can be done with other 
kinds of wearing apparel, by making up cheap material at home. 

"Shoes show an increase in price of 50 per cent at present, but this will 
undoubtedly be changed to 100 per cent in the near future when the re- 
tailers are obliged to replace their stock at the ruling wholesale prices. 
The following estimate of the shoe cost for the family considered is con- 
servative and shows an increase of 50 per cent for the past year. 

COST OF SHOES PER MONTH FOR FAMILY OF FIVE. 



Shoes 


1916 


1917 


$3.25 
2.00 


$5.00 
3.00 


Repairs 


$5.25 


$8.00 



"Rent. — The prices paid for rent in cities by families of small income 
from $12 to $17, so that $15 seems a fair average for the budget of the 
family. 

"Since the food cost is often 40 or 50 per cent, and the rent 20 per 
cent of small incomes, and since clothing, which often takes the lion's 
share of the balance, has increased 33% per cent, it would seem that 
enough data are at hand to warrant a preliminary budgeting for a family 
with an assumed income of $75 a month. 



Rent 

Light 

Fuel ... . 


1916 


1917 


$15.00 

1.50 

3.00 

33.00 

5.25 


$15.00 

1.50 

3.00 

45.00 

8.00 


Food 

Shoes . . 




$57.75 
17.25 


$72.50 
2.50 


Income 


$75.00 


$75.00 





In 1916 there was a balance of $17.25 a month to cover such other 



expenses as 

Insurance 
Organization dues 
Drugs 
Doctor bills 
Dentist bills 



Clothing (except shoes) 
School incidentals 
Household upkeep 
Church support 
Car fares 



Vacation 

Recreation 

Amusements 

Incidentals 

Emergencies 



"In 1917 there is $2.50 a month left to cover this long list of items, 
many of which are unavoidable, others urgent, and few of which can 
be omitted. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 131 

"The higher prices have in all probability been met by a reduction 
in the food supply of the family. Rent must be paid, shoes and some 
little clothing must be bought, other incidentals must be met, but food, 
which is the largest item of expense and is susceptible of manipulation, 
can generally be reduced. This should not be done at the expense of 
the growth and development of the children and the efficiency and en- 
durance of the adults." 

9.— A MINIMUM BUDGETARY ESTIMATE FOR 
PACIFIC COAST WORKERS. 

Dr. Jessica B. Peixotto, of the faculty of the University of California, 
in October, 1917, prepared a detailed estimate of the minimum outlay 
required for a workingman's family of husband, wife, and three children 
of school age, in San Francisco. This amount she placed at $110 a 
month with the statement that it covered a minimum standard of whole- 
some living and not mere subsistence. 

"The typical worker in San Francisco," she states in her explanatory 
comment, "belongs to a class which insists upon having food enough to 
provide a palatable and somewhat varied dietary; shelter and clothing 
that conforms to the traditional idea of the 'decencies' rather than the 
'necessities;' some income to pay for schooling the children, for re- 
laxation in leisure hours, and something to provide against the risks of 
ill-health, invalidity and death. Though the total looks large, it is 
actually little above Miss Byington's estimates in her Homestead 
Study, considering the rise in the prices of food and clothing Inspec- 
tion of the individual items will show that very modest sums have been 
assigned to each class of wants. The housewife who keeps within the 
amounts specified must still have to be a cautious purchaser, and capable 
in preparing foodstuffs and industrious in making clothing. 

. "It would seem, then, that the present scale of wages is such that a 
family of man, wife, and three children of school age cannot be main- 
tained without getting into debt or receiving aid on much less than $110 
a month. When the normal breadwinner is paid less than this sum, one 
of three things, any one of them harmful for the group and for the com- 
munity, is likely to happen: 

"1. Other members of the family will have to work to eke out the 
income, or 

"2. There will be less food than is necessary for the men to do effi- 
cient work. The risks of ill-health to all members of the group and the 
consequent costs to the group and to society are equally plain. Or 

"3. The group must go without many of the articles noted under 
Sundries and House Operations. The probabilities of stupidity, early 
breakdown, and dependency are evident, for the expression of the more 
subtle capacities, the capacity for foresight, for generosity, for sociabil- 
ity, depends on having some money for 'Sundries.' One of the most 
important differences between social dependents, potential or actual, 
and self-supporting citizens is that social dependents are willing to go 
without the money for 'Sundries' and capable men and women recog- 
nize the imperative need for the money that will buy those things the 
term covers." 



132 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



LIVING EXPENSES FOR FAMILY OF FIVE 



Items. 



Rent 

House Operation 

Fuel 

Light 

Laundry 

Soap, matches, etc 

Garbage removal 

Furnishings — maintenance and additions. . . . 

Telephone 

Incidentals — occasional help, repair of house. 

Food 

Clothing 

Man 

Wife 

Children (3, all under 12 years) 

Sundries 

Car fare 

Medicines 

Doctors and dentists 

Savings (for invalidity) 

Organization dues 

Insurance (burial) 

Stamps and stationery 

Newspapers, school supplies, etc 

Tobacco, drinks, etc 

Church, charity, etc 

Gifts (Christmas, etc.) 



Grand total. 



Month. 



$20.00 

11.50 

3.00 

1.50 

.25 

1.00 

.25 

2.50 

1.50 

1.50 

45.00 

288.40 

74.50 

73.90 

140.00 

22.50 

4.00 

1.25 

5.00 

5.00 

1.25 

2.00 

.25 

1.25 

1.00 

.50 

1.00 



Year. 



$240.00 

138.00 

36.00 

18.00 

3.00 

12.00 

3.00 

30.00 

18.00 

18.00 

540.00 

288.40 



270.00 
48.00 
15.00 
60.00 
60.00 
15.00 
24.00 

3.00 
15.00 
12.00 

6.00 
12.00 



Total. 



$240.00 
138.00 



540.00 
288 . 40 



270.00 



$1,476.40 



EXPENDITURE FOR CLOTHING. 



MAN 


WIFE. 


CHILDREN (3 under 12) 


Article. 


Price. 


Article. 


Price. 


Article. 


Price. 


1 business suit ( @ $20 

lasts 2 years) 

1 overcoat ( @ $20 lasts 


$10.00 

4.00 

5.00 

3.00 

.75 

.50 

5.00 

2.00 

1.50 

10.00 

3.75 

1.25 
1.00 

1.50 

.75 

5.00 


1 street dress ( @ $20 lasts 


$10.00 
3.00 
5.00 
3.00 
.90 
5.00 
5.00 
1.50 

10.00 
1.50 

10.00 
3.75 
3.25 

5.00 
7.00 


9 suits or dresses 


$25.00 

15.00 

15.00 

8.00 

5.00 

5.00 
50.00 
17.00 


1 house dress 

Waists 


15 sets of underwear. . . . 

24 pairs stockings 

3 to 5 hats 


1 extra trousers 

4 shirts 


Stockings . . ... 




Sundries: Cravats, rib- 
bons, mufflers, sweat- 
ers, aprons, rompers, 
etc 


5 collars 


Underwear 




Hats 


3 underwear 


Gloves 


2 nightwear 


Coat ( @ $20 lasts 2 yrs.) 


16 to 18 pairs shoes 










Repairs on shoes 

1 pair slippers, gum 
shoes, etc 


Repairs on shoes 

House shoes 


Sundries: Hairpins, veils, 
toilet articles, repairs 
of clothing, frills, etc. . 

1 ceremonial dress ( @ $21 
lasts 3 years) 


Handkerchiefs 

1 hat (@ $3.00 lasts 2 




Sundries: Muffler, 
sweater, gloves, purse, 
watch fob, umbrella, 
etc 


$73.90 


$140.00 




$65.00 



SUMMARY TABLE. 



Items. 


Amounts. 


Rent . 


$ 240.00 
138.00 
540.00 
288.40 
270.00 




Food 


Clothing 


Sundries 


Grand total 


$1,476.40 





BUDGETARY STUDIES. 133 

10.— STUDY MADE ON THE PACIFIC COAST BY THE LABOR 

ADJUSTMENT BOARD OF THE UNITED STATES 

SHIPPING BOARD OF THE UNITED STATES 

EMERGENCY FLEET CORPORATION. 

One of the most recent budgetary investigations was made on the 
Pacific Coast during October, 1917, by the Shipbuilding Labor Ad- 
justment Board of the United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet 
Corporation. The investigation was made for the purpose of securing 
an equitable basis for wage increases to workers in the shipyards of 
Seattle, Portland and San Francisco. 

The period determined upon to make a study of the advance in the 
cost of living of shipyard employes on the Pacific coast was the fifteen 
months beginning with June, 1916, and ending with September, 1917. 
The pre-war date of June 1, 1916, was selected because an agreement as 
to wages and working conditions was entered into by employers and 
employes in Seattle on that date. This agreement expired on July 31, 
1917, and its termination was the occasion for the demand of the em- 
ployes in that city and elsewhere for higher rates of pay. 

With the determination of the principle that money wages should 
follow the cost of living so that real wages and standards would be un- 
impaired by the war, it inevitably followed that if the cost of living was 
practically the same in the different shipbuilding localities that the 
award of the Board might be extended to all localities and a uniform 
wage scale established. The evidence submitted to the Board, together 
with the results of its own direct investigations, soon convinced the 
Board that there was no variation between localities of sufficient im- 
portance to justify the establishment of any differentials. Food prices 
in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco were practically the same. 
Those in Los Angeles were somewhat relatively higher, but it was con- 
sidered that this was more than offset by lower fuel and clothing costs. 

The extensive investigation and the tabulation and weighting of price 
statistics incident to the investigation was made possible by the active 
cooperation with the Staff of the Board members of the faculty of the 
Department of Economics in the University of Washington, and also 
by the cooperation of the faculty of the University of California. Five 
members of this faculty of the University of Washington, one of whom 
was a recognized specialist in cost of living statistics, and another in 
food prices and marketing, did field work in collecting comparative retail 
prices of foodstuffs, clothing, rents, fuel and sundries. They visited a 
large number of dealers and made actual transcriptions from their 
records. These price data were checked afterwards with the exhibits 
presented at the public hearings of the Board, by tradesmen and others. 

After these price data were collected from original sources, a large 
amount of work was necessary in averaging and weighting them in order 
to make up a comparative budget for a representative workingman's 
budget. This work was done under the direction of the economists 
already referred to, with the assistance of some of their students in 
statistics. Prices from individual tradesmen were added and averaged. 



134 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



Relative prices in October, 1917, as compared with June, 1916, were 
then worked out. Weights were then given to the different items of 
expense as follows: 

1. Articles of food and fuel according to the amounts shown as 
expended in the Washington State Bureau of Labor budget. 

2. Different articles of clothing, according to sworn statements 
of expenditure made by the Seattle street railway workers to their 
wage arbitration board. 

3. Sundries according to the practice of Chapin and other 
students. 

The proportion which expenditures for each group of articles con- 
sumed bore to the total expenditures of a workingman's family was 
then determined by accepting the results of an actual investigation 
made on the Pacific coast in 1901, by the United States Bureau of 
Labor. The percentage of increase in each class of commodities and 
the weights given to each group were as follows: 



Classes of 
expenditures. 


Weight or 

per cent of 

total budget. 


Increase in 

weighted prices, 

June 16- 

Sept. 17. 


Food 

Rent 

Clothing 

Sundries 

Fuel 


40 
18 
14 
15 
4 


46% 
5M% 
51% 
22% 
40% 



As a net result of the weighting of different commodities, and of the 
several classes of commodities entering into the consumption of work- 
ingmen's families, it was found by the Board that the general increase in 
the cost of living for the period under consideration, June, 1916- 
October, 1917, amounted to 31 per cent, and rates of pay were advanced 
accordingly. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



135 



11.— BUDGET OF THE ANNUAL COST OF LIVING, 1914-1917, 

COMPILED BY THE STATE BUREAU OF LABOR, 

OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON, 



Beginning with April, 1914, the Washington State Bureau of Labor 
has instituted during the month of April of each year a special investi- 
gation of prices of food and fuel. Statistics are secured by field agents 
from about forty retail dealers in as many towns and cities throughout 
the State. As to the relative importance of different items of expendi- 
ture the Labor Commission states that "when the budget was first 
prepared, a great many families were interviewed as to varieties of 
articles and quantities thereof necessary for a family of five during a 
period of one year, so that in this particular the average amounts used 
are also accurate. 

"A careful perusal will also convince that the quantities estimated are 
conservatively low. Flour, 686 pounds for a year, means only about 
six ounces per day per person, for a family of five; potatoes, 800 pounds 
means about seven ounces per day. Flesh meat and fish allowances 
are very small." 

The budgetary table is divided into three sections: one showing the 
cost for groceries, a second the costs of flesh meat and fish, and a third, 
fuel costs. Comparative costs for two of the largest industrial cities 
of the State, Seattle and Spokane, are shown in the table below for the 
four years, 1914-1917. 

TABLE SHOWING THE ANNUAL COST OF FOODSTUFFS AND FUEL 
FOR A FAMILY OF FIVE. 



[Survey made in month of April of each year indicated.] 










Seattle. 






Spokane. 




Quantity and article. 




















1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


260 lbs. sugar, granulated 


















cane 


$13.00 


$16.90 


$22.36 


$23.92 


$14.04 


$17.68 


$21.06 


$24.96 


14 sacks flour, fancy 


















patent, 49-lb 


19.08 


25.90 


21.84 


38.74 


19.08 


26.00 


20.30 


41.02 


2 sacks corn meal, 10-lb 


.65 


.68 


.68 


.90 


.68 


.74 


.68 


1.00 


75 lbs. rolled oats, bulk. 


3.56 


4.05 


3.75 


3.98 


3.25 


3.60 


3.75 


4.43 


8 cwt. potatoes, white. 


9.00 


17.40 


15.12 


34.00 


5.56 


11.71 


12.00 


32.80 


25 lbs. beans, navy .... 


1.85 


1.93 


2.38 


4.18 


1.75 


1.95 


2.00 


3.48 


26 lbs. onions, dry 


1.69 


.73 


.91 


3.17 


1.56 


.83 


.78 


3.35 


12 lbs. barley, pearl 


.84 


1.00 


1.00 


1.12 


1.02 


1.04 


.96 


1.20 


10 lbs. split peas 


.70 


.90 


.90 


.97 


.85 


.99 


.95 


1.13 


22 lbs. rice, Japan 


1.41 


1.61 


1.87 


1.61 


1.71 


1.89 


1.76 


2.00 


80 lbs. butter, creamery 


25.00 


23.52 


30.48 


36.00 


26.80 


26.32 


30.80 


37.04 


25 lbs. butter, ranch . . . 


6.88 


6.25 


10.00 


10.73 


6.67 


6.60 


7.50 


10.63 


30 lbs. soda crackers. . . 


3.00 


2.79 


2.85 


3.84 


2.70 


2.97 


3.15 


4.56 


80 doz. eggs, fresh 


19.52 


19.76 


22.00 


28.88 


20.00 


19.20 


20.00 


31.04 


4 lbs. macaroni 


.36 


.35 


.30 


.33 


.39 


.35 


.32 


.30 


20 lbs. cheese, Ameiican 


5.00 


4.62 


5.00 


5.92 


5.25 


4.66 


5.20 


6.00 


6 lbs. cheese, imp. Swiss 


2.18 


2.28 


3.12 


2.28 


2.20 


2.50 


2.40 


3.90 


12 lbs. raisins, seedless. 


1.29 


1.43 


1.57 


1.60 


1.27 


1.42 


1.54 


1.90 


20 lbs. dried prunes. . . . 


2.40 


2.58 


2.62 


2.66 


2.35 


2.-50 


2.16 


2.76 


8 doz. lemons 


1.92 


1.65 


1.68 


1.94 


2.30 


1.66 


1.70 


2.00 


3 gals, syrup, corn. . . . 


1.80 


1.67 


1.65 


1.97 


2.23 


1.91 


1.92 


2.35 


10 lbs. comb honey. . . . 


1.94 


1.91 


1.83 


1.92 


1.90 


1.75 


1.63 


1.83 


3 gals, pickles, sour. . . 


1.65 


1.82 


1.95 


1.52 


1.61 


1.60 


2.10 


2.37 


3 gals, vinegar, cider. . 


1.39 


1.20 


1.18 


1.15 


1.16 


1.11 


1.17 


1.15 


18 cans canned tomat- 


















oes. No. 3 


2.70 


2.65 


2.52 


2.93 


2.70 


2.70 


2.86 


3.60 


22 cans canned corn. 


















No. 2 


2.24 


2.42 


2.75 


3.12 


2.82 


2.40 


2.64 


3.39 


20 cans canned peas, 


















No. 2 


2.60 


2.64 


2.80 


2.76 


2.80 


2.58 


2.66 


2.60 





136 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



TABLE SHOWING THE ANNUAL COST OF FOODSTUFFS AND FUEL 
FOR A FAMILY OF FIVE— Concluded. 

[Survey made in month of April of each year indicated.] 



Quantity and article. 


Seattle. 


Spokane. 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


9 cans canned beans, 
No. 2 


1.24 

.25 

4.05 

1.06 

.59 

1.40 

14.00 

4.50 

3.00 

.67 

4.25 

20.00 

15.00 

33.00 


1.22 
.27 

4.09 

1.08 

.95 

1.37 

14.00 

4.50 

3.00 

.67 

4.25 

20.00 

15.00 

33.00 


1.07 
.29 

4.28 
1.15 
1.06 
1.40 

14.00 

4.50 

3.00 

.67 

4.25 

20.00 

15.00 

33.00 


1.31 
.23 

4.28 
1.04 
1.65 

2.73 

14.00 

4.50 

3.00 

.67 

4.25 

20.00 

15.00 

36.50 


1.26 
.30 

4.05 

1.20 

.59 

1.66 

14.00 

4.50 

3.00 

.67 

4.25 

20.00 

15.00 

33.00 


1.22 

.27 

4.08 

1.14 

.80 

1.51' 

14.00 

4.50 

3.00 

.67 

4.25 

20.00 

15.00 

33.00 


1.18 
.26 

3.83 

1.02 

.85 

.88 

14.00 

4.50 

3.00 

.67 

4.25 

20.00 

15.00 

33.00 


1.42 
.29 

4.05 
1.30 
1.65 
3.40 

14.00 

4.50 

3.00 

.67 

4.25 

20.00 

15.00 

36.50 


3 lbs. baking soda .... 
9 lbs. baking powder, 

cream tartar 

12 lbs. corn starch 


35 lbs. cabbage 

40 lbs. coffee, medium 


10 lbs. tea, medium 


12 pts. tomato catsup. . 
20 lbs. salt 


85 bars soap 


Vegetables 


Fruit 


Milk, fresh and condensed 

Total for groceries .... 
Weekly average 

1914 Relative per- 
centages 


$236.66 

4.55 

100. 


$254.04 
4.89 

107. 


$268.78 
5.17 

114. 


$331.30 
6.37 

140. 


$238.13 
4.58 

100. 


$252.10 
4.85 

106. 


$256.43 
4.93 

108. 


$342.82 
6.59 

144. 


74 lbs. lard 


$11.66 

1.22 

.69 

3.90 

10.90 

4.35 

1.63 

30.00 

12.00 

22.40 

7.76 

8.00 

11.00 

4.40 

7.62 


$11.54 

1.18 

.64 

4.51 

11.04 

4.28 

1.47 

31.20 

11.80 

22.32 

7.76 

9.30 

10.86 

5.33 

8.30 


$11.10 

1.05 

.63 

4.32 
11.20 

5.00 

1.42 
31.50 
12.40 
22.56 

7.28 
10.70 
10.86 

5.20 
11.22 


$19.24 

1.02 

.71 

5.11 
14.12 

6.14 

2.50 
35.85 
12.50 
27.96 

8.72 
10.35 
14.76 

8.48 
16.25 


$11.10 

1.19 

.69 

4.80 

10.16 

4.28 

1.53 

24.00 

9.60 

21.84 

7.28 

6.25 

9.72 

4.00 

8.50 


$10.80 

1.15 

.68 

3.91 

9.04 

3.72 

1.40 

29.70 

10.90 

22.56 

9.28 

9.20 

10.20 

4.23 

9.11 


$11.69 

1.00 

.66 

3.89 

9.40 

4.24 

1.64 

32.63 

12.50 

24.00 

7.72 

10.45 

10.62 

4.73 

12.65 


$21.09 

1.09 

.73 

5.78 
13.84 

6.64 

2.25 
25.80 
12.70 
25.56 

9.68 
11.10 
15.12 

6.45 
11.76 


5 cans canned oysters, 
No. 2 


5 cans canned clams. 
No. 1 


24 lbs. canned salmon. 
No. 1 


40 lbs. smoked bacon . . 

20 lbs. smoked ham 

10 lbs. smoked shoulder. 

150 lbs. roast beef 

100 lbs. boiling meat. . . . 

120 lbs. steak 


40 lbs. veal . . . 


50 lbs. mutton 

60 lbs. pork. . 


25 lbs. poultry 

68 lbs. fresh fish 

Total for meat and 
fish 


$137.53 
2.64 

100. 


$141.53 
2.72 

103. 


$146.44 
2.81 

106. 


$183.71 
3.53 

134. 


$124.94 
2.40 

100. 


$135.88 
2.61 

109. 


$147.82 
2.84 

118. 


$169.59 
3.26 

136. 


Weekly average 

1914 Relative per- 
centages 


4K cords wood, fir, stove 
length 


$25 . 52 
18.75 


$29.25 
18.90 


$27.45 
18.75 


$27.56 
20.13 


$35.46 
25.50 


$31.95 
24.99 


$33.75 
25.50 


$37.50 
29.00 


4 tons coal 


Total for fuel 

Weekly average 

1914 Relative per- 
centages 


$44.27 
.85 

100. 


$48.15 
.92 

109. 


$46.20 
.89 

104. 


$47.69 
.92 

108. 


$60.96 
1.17 

100. 


$56.94 
1.09 

93. 


$59.25 
1.14 

97. 


$66.50 
1.28 

109. 


Totals: 


$236.66 
137.53 
44.27 


$254.04 
141.53 
48.15 


$268.78 
146.44 
46.20 


$331.30 

183.71 

47.69 


$238.13 

124.94 

60.96 


$252.10 
135.88 
56.94 


$256.43 
147.82 
59.25 


$342.82 

169.59 

66.50 


Meat and fish 

Fuel 




Grand total . 


Ui8A6 
8.04 

too. 


$443.72 
8.53 
106. 


$461.42 
8.87 
110. 


$562.70 
10.82 
134. 


$424.03 
8.15 
100. 


$444.92 
8.55 
105. 


$463 . 50 
8.91 
109. 


$578.91 
11.13 
137. 


Weekly average 

1914 Relatives 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



137 



THE COMPARATIVE TOTALS FOR THE PERIOD 1914-1917 BY GROUPS OF ARTICLES. FOR 
SECTIONS OF THE STATE, OTHER THAN THE ABOVE NAMED CITIES, ARE SHOWN 
BELOW: 



Classes of Expenditures. 


Exclusive of Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane. 


Southwestern. 


Northwestern. 


Eastern. 




1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


Groceries 


$230 
4.42 
100 


$247 
4.75 
107 


$247 
4.75 
107 


$331 
6.37 
144 


$231 
4.45 
100 


$243 
4.67 
105 


$254 
4.88 
110 


$328 
6.31 
142 


$232 
4.45 
100 


$247 
4.75 
107 


$254 
4.89 
110 


$333 
6.41 
144 


Total 


Weekly averages 

1914 relative percentage 


Meat and fish: 


























Total 


$137 
2.64 
100 


S134 
2.59 
98 


$138 
2.65 
101 


$175 
3.36 
127 


$134 
2.58 
100 


$130 
2.50 
97 


$138 
2.64 
102 


$184 
3.54 
137 


$138 
2.66 
100 


$138 
2.67 
100 


$143 
2.74 
103 


$175 
3.36 
126 


Weekly average 

1914 relative percentage 


Fuel: 


























Total 


$39 

0.74 

100 


$43 

0.83 

111 


$40 

0.77 

104 


$28 
0.54 

73 


$51 

0.99 

100 


$45 

0.87 

88 


$44 

0.86 

87 


$48 

0.93 

94 


$59 

1.14 

100 


$56 

1.08 

95 


$57 

1.09 

96 


$61 

1.18 

103 


Weekly average 

1914 relative percentage 


All commodities: 


























Grand total 


S406 
7.80 
100 


$425 
8.17 
105 


$425 
8.17 
105 


$534 

10.27 

132 


$417 
8.02 
100 


$418 
8.04 
100 


$436 
8.38 
105 


$560 

10.78 

134 


$429 
8.25 
100 


$442 
8.50 
103 


$454 
8.72 
106 


$569 
10.95 
133 


Weekly average 

1914 relative percentage 



(Cents in annual expenditures have been omitted.) 



138 BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

12.— COST OF A MINIMUM FOOD SUPPLY FOR A 
REPRESENTATIVE CITY FAMILY. 

Inspector Graef, of the Department of Health, New York City, in 
October 19, 1917, made a careful comparison of the costs of the various 
elements in a standard dietary in the largest cities of the United States. 
He found that the cheapest wholesome dietary for a family of five (man, 
wife, and three children), cost $9.67 a week in New York City, $9.25 in 
New Orleans, $9.14 in Boston, $9.12 in San Francisco, and $9.89 in 
Chicago. The average for 24 cities and towns in the United States 
was $9.43. 

The menus provided at these figures, however, were not especially 
tempting (see Menu No. 1 which follows), and a really palatable dietary, 
it was estimated, would cost approximately 25 per cent more than the 
figures just quoted, or $12.95 a week in New York City, $12.59 in Chi- 
cago, $12.45 in Boston, $11.92 in New Orleans, and $11.46 in San Fran- 
cisco. The average for 24 cities throughout the United States was 
$12.68 a week. On an annual basis this would make a minimum food 
cost for a representative family from $489.36 to $659.36. The latter 
figures are more representative, as they contain a considerable proportion 
of really palatable foods. The detailed report of Inspector Graef was 
as follows: 

"With a chart of retail prices throughout the United -States as basis 
(see American Food Journal, September, 1917), the attached weekly 
family food budget was calculated for a New York City family as com- 
pared with a family living In one of several other large cities. 

"The family — a typical one — consists of a man (at active work simi- 
lar to that of average city liver), a woman and three children. Accord- 
ing to the Atwater Standard they would require: 



Man 3500 calories per day. 

Woman 2500 calories per day. 

Girl (16 years) 2500 calories per day. 

Child (12 years) 2250 calories per day. 

Child (8 years) 1750 calories per day. 

■ (5)... 22500 

2500 average daily requirement. 



"From 10 to 15 per cent of these calories must be protein or tissue- 
building foods. 

"Menus No. 1, which follows, consists of low cost foods of high nutri- 
tious value, selected not only with a view to the requirements of a ration, 
balanced as far as food values, but also a selection to satisfy the palate. 
The meat allowed would, in all probability, not be sufficient for the 
man of the family; where this is true, meat has been allowed for him 
in shape of ham sandwich, to be taken at midday meal — presumably 
'carried to work.' 

"Menus No. 2 consists of foods chosen more essentially for attractive- 
ness and with a more liberal allowance of meat. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

MENUS NO. 1. 



139 



Breakfast 



Oatmeal 
Rye Bread 
Oleo, Milk 



Dinner 

MONDAY 

Bean Loaf 
Steamed Rice 
Apple Tapioca 

Milk 



Supper 



Prune Sauce 

Corn Dodger 

Cocoa, Milk 

Tea 



TUESDAY (WHEATLESS AND MEATLESS DAY) 



Cornmeal 

Rye Bread, Milk 

Oleo, Sugar, Coffee 



Brazilian Bean Soup 

Beet Tops 

Rye Bread, Oleo 

Prunes, Milk 



Junket 

Caramel Sauce 

Rye Bread 

Tea 



Oatmeal and Prunes 

Muffins 
Milk, Oleo, Coffee 



WEDNESDAY 

Rice with Cheese 
Peanut Butter 
Bread, Oleo 
Dried Peaches 



Pea Soup 

Corn Bread 

Oleo, Apple Sauce 

Milk 



Hominy, Coffee 

Corn Bread, Oleo 

Milk 



THURSDAY 

Macaroni and Cheese 

Apple Sauce 

Gingerbread 

Milk 



Cream of Tomato Soup 

Bread 

Oat Wafers 

Prune Sauce 



Cornmeal Mush 
Syrup for adults 
Milk for children 

Toast and Oleo 
Coffee 



FRIDAY 

Hashed Cod 
Oatmeal Wafers 
Milk, Bananas 



Lima Beans, Scalloped 
Graham Bread 
Peaches 
Milk 



Hominy 



SATURDAY 

Baked Peas and Pork 

Cornbread and Rice 

(steamed with milk) 

Apple Sauce 

Milk 



Cream Toast, Cheese 

Stewed Prunes 

Milk for children 



SUNDAY 

Oatmeal Baked Corn and Beans 

and Cheese 
Rice Pudding with 
Prunes 



Baked Bananas 

Cornmeal Muffins 

Oleo, Milk 



140 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



WEEK'S MARKET LIST FOR MENUS NO 

PRICES IN CERTAIN CITIES. 



. 1. 



Kind of food. 


New York 
City. 


Average of 

24 cities 

throughout 

U.S. 


Boston. 


Chicago. 


New 
Orleans. 


San 
Francisco. 


Canned foods 

Cereals 


$0,361 
2.993 
.999 
.195 
.389 
.606 
2.392 
.709 
.937 
.90 


$0,331 
3.032 
.949 
.195 
.422 
.610 
2.011 
.739 
.901 
.90 


$0,340 
2.109 
.930 
.195 
.391 
.600 
2.878 
.769 
.850 
.90 


$0,350 
3.289 
.894 
.195 
.409 
.640 
2.347 
.760 
.917 
.90 


$0,350 
2.985 
.905 
.195 
.393 
.580 
2.134 
.685 
.939 
.90 


$0,300 
2.036 
.853 
.195 
.428 
.700 
2.048 
.674 
.810 
.90 


Dried fruits 




Sugar and syrup 

Fats 

Dairy Products 


Vegetables 

Meats and fish 


Condiments 


$9,672 


$9,430 


$9,148 


$9,891 


$9,256 


$9,129 



WEEK'S MARKET LIST AND ITS FOOD VALUE 
FOR MENUS NO. 2. 



Kind of foods. 



Total 
Calories. 



Protein 
grams. 



Canned goods. 

Cereals 

Dried fruits . . . 
Sugars, etc. . . . 

Fats 

Dairy products 

Vegetables 

Meat and fish. 
Condiments. . . 



122.2 

42272.0 

5716.0 

7560.5 

11845.0 

10355.2 

3990.5 

5643 . 5 

No food value 



88049.9 
Calories per gram 



Total protein calories . 



6.46 

1391.06 

47.60 

24.48 



555.87 
156.05 
730.21 



2961.73 



11846.22 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



141 





MENUS NO. 2. 




Breakfast 


Dinner 
MONDAY 


Supper 


Apple Sauce 

Rolled Oats 

Codfish Balls 

Coffee, Bread, Oleo 


Meat Balls _ 

Rice, Boiled Onions 

White Sauce 

Bread, Oleo 

Apple Betty 


Prune Sauce 

Gingerbread 

Tea, Oleo 


TUESDAY (WHEATLESS AND MEATLESS DAY) 

Hominy Scotch Barley Soup Peaches 
Scrambled Eggs Cheese Fondue Oatmeal 
Coffee, Bread, Oleo Beet Tops Macaroons 
(r>^e) Rye Bread, Oleo Cocoa 
Rice Pudding 




WEDNESDAY 




Shredded Wheat 

Scrambled Eggs 

Coffee, Bread, Oleo 


Planked Steak 
Onions 
Bread, Oleo 
Apple Tapioca 

THURSDAY 


Apple Sauce 

Cookies 

Bread 

Tea, Oleo 


Rice, Prune Sauce 
Cream Toast 
Coffee, Bread, Oleo 


Stewed Beans 

Tomato Sauce 

Cornbread, Oleo 

Apple Cake 

Cornstarch 

Sauce 

FRIDAY 


Prune Loaf 

Milk 
Tea, Bread 
Oleo 


Rolled Oats 

Codfish Balls 

Coffee, Bread, Oleo 


Baked Fish 

Lettuce 

French Dressing 

Prune Jelly 


Fried Hominy 

Syrup 

Peach Sauce 

Tea, Bread 

Oleo 


ornmeal, Apple Sauce 

French Sauce 
Coffee, Bread, Oleo 


SATURDAY 

Bean Loaf 

Tomato Sauce 

Scalloped Potatoes 

Peach Pie 

Bread, Oleo 

SUNDAY 


Junket 

Oatmeal 

Macaroons 

Tea, Bread, Oleo 


Hominy 

Boiled Eggs 

Coffee, Bread, Oleo 


Roast Leg Lamb 

Beet Tops 

Potatoes 

Chocolate Pudding 

Bread, Oleo 


Cornmeal 

Soufile 

Bread, Oleo 

Cocoa 



142 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 
WEEK'S MARKET LIST FOR MENUS NO. 2. 



Kind of food. 


New York 
City. 


Average of 

24 cities 

throughout 

U.S. 


Boston. 


Chicago. 


New 
Orleans. 


San 
Francisco. 


Canned goods 


$0,185 
2.943 

.690 

.515 
3.340 

.665 
3.229 

.110 


$0,177 
3.144 

.650 

.570 
3.343 

.673 
2.717 

.110 


$0,180 
2.202 

.670 

.515 
3 . 925 

.765 
2.834 

.110 


$0 . 200 
3.153 

.626 

.537 
3.165 

.685 
2.834 

.110 


$0,200 
3.022 

.625 

.540 
2.801 

.660 
2.409 

.110 


$0,150 
2.902 

.605 

.581 
2.950 

.582 
2.284 

.110 


Cereals 

Dried fruits 




Dairy products . . . 


Vegetables 


Meats and fish 




Total cost of food budget. . . 


$12,953 


$12,685 


$12,451 


$12,593 


$11,929 


$11,460 



13.— REPORT ON THE INCREASED COST OF LIVING FOR AN 
UNSKILLED LABORER'S FAMILY IN NEW YORK CITY. 

(Prepared by the Bureau of Personal Service of the Board of 

Estimate and Apportionment, New York City, 

February, 1917.) 



INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT. 

In February, 1915, the Bureau of Personal Service, in conjunction 
with the Bureau of Municipal Research, made a study of the cost of 
living for an unskilled laborer's family. After careful consideration 
of the average size of families among laborers in general, in the United 
States, in the City of New York, and among the rank and file of the 
Department of Street Cleaning in particular, it was decided to select 
for purposes of study a family consisting of five members, a wage-earner, 
his wife, and three children of school age, who could not be expected to 
contribute anything to the family support. It was decided to fix the 
sex and ages of the children as follows: 

Boy 13 years 

Girl 10 years 

Boy 6 years 

The conclusion drawn from the report was that with less than $840 
a year an unskilled laborer's family of five persons could not maintain a 
standard of living consistent with American ideas. As a practical appli- 
cation of this conclusion, the Bureau of Personal Service recommended 
no maximum rate for the rank and file of the Department of Street 
Cleaning and for other comparable employments below $840. 

The subsequent changes in the rates for sweeper in the Department of 
Street Cleaning will serve to illustrate the application of standardization 
and minimum wage principles to unskilled laborers in the city service. 
The flat rate paid to sweepers in the Department of Street Cleaning up 
to January 1, 1915, was $780. In Spetember, 1914, a range of salary 
of from $720 to $816 had been recommended tentatively by the Bureau 
of Personal Service. Increases to the rate of $792 were actually in- 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 143 

corporated in the annual tax budget for 1915. As a result of the mini- 
mum wage study, the range of salary finally recommended for sweepers 
was from $720 to $840 with increases of $24 after not less than one year 
of service. This salary range was based upon the assumption that a 
sweeper entered the department with little or no family responsibility 
and at a slightly lower salary than the average pay for similar labor in 
private employment. Thereafter his salary would be increased after 
each year or two years of satisfactory service up to the point at which his 
family obligations were greatest. At this point his salary rate should 
approximate the minimum cost of decent living. In order to apply this 
range of salary successfully from the point of view of the family obliga- 
tions of the laborer and the pension obligations of the city, it would 
have been necessary to limit further the age at which laborers would 
enter the city service. This would be impossible under present labor 
conditions. It will probably be impossible in the future to have the 
entering age so low that laborers coming into the service will be without 
family responsibilities. It must therefore be admitted that the original 
principle of fixing the mJnimum wage as the maximum of the scale was 
too conservative. 

At the time the original study was made, market conditions were 
normal and satisfactory unskilled labor service could be purchased at 
rates below $2 per day. Before January 1, 1917, market conditions had 
changed to such an extent that not only was the Department of Street 
Cleaning unable to obtain sweepers at the minimum rate of $720, but 
large numbers of sweepers and other employes of corresponding rank at 
higher rates were leaving the service to accept employment in private 
concerns which had been forced to pay much higher daily rates on account 
of conditions arising from the war. In order that the city also might 
meet these market conditions, it was necessary in February, 1917, to 
raise the minimum rate for sweepers to $792. Similar increases in mini- 
mum rates were made in the case of other employes. Within less than a 
month after these increases were made, the following statement was 
made in a letter from the Street Cleaning Commissioner to the Director 
of the Bureau of Personal Service: 

"Yesterday a delegation of sweepers w^aited upon me and stated that 
the cost of food and necessities of life had so increased of late that they 
were unable to live decently on present salaries. I was much impressed 
by the statements made by the men, and believe that a survey of their 
living conditions should be made before the next revision of salary 
schedules is made at the end of this month. I would be glad to have 
your views as to the possibility of making such a survey within the next 
ten days." 

A survey such as that requested by the Street Cleaning Commissioner 
had already been made in connection with the publication of a new edi- 
tion of the Standard Specifications for Personal Service for the purpose 
of revising the original study of the cost of living in accordance with the 
abnormal rise in the price of necessities. The conclusions drawn from 
this survey are embodied in the following report. They indicate that 
the cost of living for the laborer's family of five persons, selected in the 
original report, has risen from $840 to approximately $980; that is, about 
16^ per cent. It is not, of course, to be assumed that the present con- 
ditions are likely to continue indefinitely. The various governmient 



144 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



agencies and committees appointed to report on or cope with the high 
cost of living will probably bring about considerable reduction in prices 
and will relieve the scarcity of certain products. It is, however, reason- 
able to assume that $840 cannot be recommended as a maximum rate 
for unskilled laborers in the revised edition of the Standard Specifica- 
tions if it is intended that the City of New York shall meet conditions 
in representative private employment or shall itself be a model employer. 
The maximum rate recommended for sweepers has, therefore, been 
raised from $840 to $888, and similar increases in the maximum rates 
have been recommended in a number of other groups of employes. In 
addition, in order to preserve proper distinction between unskilled 
and slightly skilled employes, it has been found necessary to recommend 
higher rates for a number of slightly skilled employes. These proposed 
changes are thought to be very conservative. They do not meet the 
present abnormal conditions as far as the minimum rates are concerned. 

In applying the new rates, it may therefore be desirable to waive 
temporarily one or more of the lowest rates; for example, to fix tem- 
porarily the minimum for laborers, sweepers, deckhands and other 
employes at $816 or $840 and to make similar temporary adjustments 
in the case of other unskilled and slightly skilled employes. In other 
words, while the standard minimum rates should remain as published 
in the new edition of the Standard Specifications, a higher minimum 
might be adopted temporarily to meet present conditions. The stand- 
ard minimum rates could be restored as soon as living conditions become 
more nearly normal. 

The following is a partial list of the changes in the salaries of low grade 
employes proposed in the new edition of the Standard Specifications: 



Tide. 



Boardman 

Bridgetender , 

Caretaker — Men 

Cleaner — Men 

Cleaner (Windows) , 

Deckhand 

Driver 

Elevator Operator 

Gardener 

Hostler 

Laborer — Unskilled 

Laborer — Skilled 

Laborer (Stores) 

Laborer — Watchman .... 

Loader 

Motor Truck Driver. . . . 
Climber and Pruner 

Park Laborer — Unskilled 

Park Laborer — Skilled . . . 

Stableman 

Sweeper 

Ticket Chopper 

Watchman 



Present Range 


Proposed Range 


(Amount of Increase 


(Amount of Increase 


in Brackets). 


in Brackets). 


$720-$840 


($24) 


$792-$888 


($24) 


816- 960 


( 36) 


876- 984 


( 36) 


780- 960 


( 36) 


840- 984 


( 36) 


2.50 




2.70 




672- 840 


( 24) 


768- 864 


( 24) 


720- 864 


( 24) 


792- 888 


( 24) 


720- 840 


( 24) 


792- 888 


( 24) 






313 da. 






900-1020 


( 24) 






365 da. 


768- 888 


( 24) 


840- 936 


( 24) 


2.. 50-2. 80 


(.10) 


2.70-3.00 


(.10) 


780- 960 


( 36) 


840- 984 


( 36) 






2.80-3.00 


(.10) 


744- 864 


( 24) 


816- 912 


( 24) 


2.40-2.70 


(.10) 


2.60-2.90 


(.10) 


720- 840 


( 24) 


792- 888 


( 24) 


2.50 




2.50-2.80 


(.10) 


864- 936 


( 24) 


888- 936 


( 24) 


2.75-3.00 




2.80-3.00 


(.10) 


744- 864 


( 24) 


816- 912 


( 24) 


600 




660 








720 on repair work 


816- 888 


( 24) 


864- 960 


( 24) 


888- 960 


( 36) 


960- 996 


( 36) 


720- 840 


( 24) 






2.30-2.70 


(.10) 


2.80-3.00 


(.10) 


720- 840 


( 24) 






2.30-2.70 


(.10) 


2.50-2.80 


(.10) 


720- 840 


( 24) 






2.30-2.70 


(.10) 


2.80-3.00 


(.10) 


720- 840 


( 24) 


792- 888 


( 24) 


2.30-2.70 


(.10) 


2.50-2.80 


(.10) 


720- 840 


( 24) 


792- 888 


( 24) 


744- 864 


( 24) 


816- 912 


( 24) 


720- 840 


( 24) 


792- 888 


( 24) 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



145 



CLASSIFICATION OF OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURE. 



Tlie following table shows a comparison of the results of studies made 
in February, 1915, and February, 1917, of the cost of living for an un- 
skilled laborer's family in New York City. The increase in cost in 
those two years seems to be approximately 16 per cent. 

Objects of expenditure have been classified in eight standard groups, 
for each of which the total annual expense in the years 1915 and 1917 
is as follows: 



I — Housing . 


1915 


1917 


$168.00 
30.30 

383.812 
104.20 
42.75 
20.00 
22.88 
73.00 


$168.00 
30.30 
492.388 
127.10 
46.75 
20.00 
22.88 
73.00 


II. — Car fare 


Ill —Food 


IV.— Clothing 


V. — Fuel and Light 


VI.— Health 


VII. — Insurance 


VIII — Sundries 


Total per year . . 


$844,942 


$980,418 

$ 5.00 

40.00 

18.00 

5.00 

5.00 


Sundries classified — 

Papers and other reading matter 






Furniture, utensils, fixtures, moving expenses, etc 












Total 




$ 73.00 







I. — Housing : 

A family consisting of five people needs at least four rooms to meet 
the demands of decency. Three rooms for more than four persons causes 
over-crowding. Four rooms, on the other hand, for five persons is 
slightly above the accepted standard of "one and one-half persons to 
a room." 

Rent in tenement districts at the present time, as in 1915, according 
to the statement of reliable real estate men, averages $4.00 per room 
per month. This statement is verified by the family budgets exhibited 
in Appendix B and by the data on present rentals in Appendix A. 

The housing minimum arrived at in our standard classification repre- 
sents therefore the rent expenditure necessary for an average of 3 3^ 
rooms at the $4.00 monthly rate, or for four rooms at a $3.50 monthly 
rate. The resulting annual expenditure for housing, $168, is 20 per 
cent of the total 1915 expenditure, which is generally considered a proper 
ratio of housing to total income. 

It is stated by representatives of Horace S. Ely & Co., real estate 
agents, that the decrease in immigration and increase in emigration, 
due to the war, have caused many vacancies in tenement houses in the 
upper and lower east side, with the result that both minimum and maxi- 
mum rental values in certain quarters have been reduced about $1. 
The present generally prevailing tendency to higher prices largely coun- 
teracts this reduction, however, so that it may be said that in general 
rents are the same in 1917 as in 1915. 

II.— Car Fare: 

The minimum estimate for care fare remains unchanged at $30.30, 
which represents only 10c per day for 303 working days. 



146 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



III.— Food: 

In arriving at a proper minimum for food expenditure, a number of 
factors must be taken into consideration. A laborer, in order to per- 
form efficient work, requires nourishing and wholesome food in con- 
siderable quantities. The age of children is an all important factor in 
determining their food consumption. The prices of foodstuffs are con- 
stantly changing. 

The schedule adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture 
(Farmers' Bulletin No. 142) apportions the food requirements of women 
and children of various ages on the basis of fractions of the integer re- 
quired to support a mature working man. This schedule is as follows: 



Man 1 . 

Woman 8 

Boy — 16 years 9 

12 to 16 years 8 

10 to 12 years 6 

Girl — 15 to 16 years 8 

14 to 15 years 7 

10 to 14 years 6 

Child — 6 to 9 years 5 

2 to 5 years 4 

Under 2 years 3 



According to the above table the family which we have assumed, 
consisting of a man, wife, a boy of 13 years, a girl of 10 years, and a boy 
of 6 years, would consume a quantity of food sufficient for 3.7 men. 

In 1907, Federal government dietitians agreed that families spending 
at the rate of 22c per man per day were not receiving food enough to 
maintain physical efficiency.* Moreover, this minimum was predicated 
upon extraordinary intelligence, in that it assumed that the mother 
possessed a scientific knowledge of household economy, food values and 
market conditions. The food prices in 1913, as compared with 1907, 
had risen 16 per cent, according to a report of the United States Depart- 
ment of Labor. (Retail Prices and Cost of Living, Series 8.) Taking 
the 22c per man per day minimum established in 1907 and allowing a 16 
per cent increase, 25^c would be the minimum measured by 1913 stand- 
ards. Adding to this a l>^c marginal limit, to provide for discrepancies 
and for an increase in prices in 1914, 27c per man per day was arrived 
at as a fair minimum for 1915. This was the minimum established at 
that time by the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor 
as the basis of their relief work and was used as a basis for calculation 
in the 1915 Report of this Bureau. At the present time the Associa- 
tion for Improving the Condition of the Poor is using 30c as its mini- 
mum because of the increased cost of food. Upon these two bases the 
cost of food per day for our family in New York City would be: 



Husband 

Wife 

Boy, 13 years. 
Girl, 10 years. 
Child, 6 years. 



Total per day. . 
Total per week . 



$.999 
$7.00 



1915 


1917 


Per day. 


Per day. 


$ .27 


$ .30 


.216 


.24 


.216 


.24 


.162 


.18 


.135 


.15 



$1.11 

$7.77 



Report on Nutrition Investigation. Special Committee on Standards of Living. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 147 

This conclusion is based upon scientific facts regarding the number 
of calories of heat and grams of protein necessary for the human body. 
It is only one and by no means the most trustworthy of several logical 
methods of reaching a minimum estimate. 

Another and more trustworthy method of approach to such a con- 
clusion is to price a list of foodstuffs necessary for an American family 
of five. Following this method, an itemized food budget was taken from 
Dr. Chapin's book on "Standard of Living in New York City," and was 
submitted for criticism to dietitians and social service workers, with the 
result that the list was slightly modified. In order to find the prevailing 
cost of the modified list in New York City, foodstuffs were priced in the 
places where unskilled laborers would naturally buy; that is, municipal 
markets, push-carts, co-operative stores and regular neighborhood gro- 
cery and butcher establishments. (For this food budget used in field 
work, with prices for 1915 and 1917, see Appendix A.) This method of 
approach led to the conclusion that $7,381 per week or $383,812 per year 
would be the minimum requirement for 1915. 

In securing facts as to the increased cost of food for 1917, this same list 
of foodstuffs was again priced at markets, push-carts and stores of the 
same type as before and the average amount of increase ascertained. 
From this investigation it was learned that the cost of exactly the same 
foods is at the present time $9,469 per week or $492,388 per year, show- 
ing an increase of $2,088 per week or $108,576 per year over the cost for 
1915. It may be noted that it is possible to sustain life on a less varied, 
and less expensive diet than that considered in this report, but, as stated 
before, this study is based upon standards of living consistent with 
American ideas. 

IV.— Clothing: 

The clothing estimate was made in the same way as that for food. A 
list of the clothing needed by a family of five was taken from Dr. Cha- 
pin's report and considerably modified. The prices of the various articles 
in this clothing budget were obtained from the type of stores at which 
workingmen would naturally buy. (For copy of this list of clothing, 
with prices for 1915 and 1917, see Appendix A.) 

It is difficult to make exact statements about the expenditure for such 
an item as clothing, in which there are so many personal considerations. 
Basing our estimate, however, upon average common-sense requirements 
and upon prices prevailing in 1915 for these requirements, we concluded 
that $104.20 for our assumed family of five was the exact clothing cost 
for that year. Prices for this clothing list were again obtained in Febru- 
ary, 1917, in the same way in which food prices were checked, and were 
found to total $127.10 as against $104.20 in 1915. 

v.— Fuel and Light: 

The fuel and light estimate of $42 for 1915 was based on facts sub- 
mitted by the Consolidated Gas Company and by public and private re- 
lief organizations, and on past studies, taking into consideration, how- 
ever, the prevailing prices of coal, wood and gas. (For supplementary 
data see Appendix A.) All of the estimates submitted were in the 
neighborhood of $40 to $45. 

Our conclusion for 1915 was a fair mean and allowed for the following 
approximate consumption of fuel and gas: 



148 BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

Fuel 

During the winter months, 3 bags of coal per week at 25c a bag> 
and 6 bundles of wood per week at 2c per bundle, resulting in a 
weekly expenditure of 87c. During the fall months, 2 bags of coal 
per week at 25c per bag, and 4 bundles of wood per week at 2c a 
bundle, resulting in a weekly expenditure of 58c. Assuming 18 
weeks for the winter and 13 weeks for the fall, the total expenditure 
for fuel amounted to $23.20 for 1915. 

Light and Gas used for Fuel 

Light, assuming the use of gas during the 18 weeks of the winter, 
at 25c per week, 13 weeks of the fall at 35c per week, and 21 weeks 
of the summer at 50c per week, amounts to a total expenditure of 
$19.55. During the fall and summer gas is used for cooking. Thus 
the consumption is increased. 

The estimate for 1917 is changed only by an increase in the cost of coal 
from 25c to 30c a bag. This rise causes an increase in the total yearly 
expenditure for fuel to $27.20 as against $23.20 in 1915. 

VI.— Health: 

The problem of arriving at a minimum for health expenditure is neces- 
sarily involved. Several studies have been made upon this subject 
which for our purposes are quite satisfactory. The Metropolitan Life 
Insurance Company, in connection with its welfare work, has considered 
health expenditure in more detail than has any other organization. Dr. 
Lewis I. Dublin, their statistician, who has studied this problem from an 
insurance standpoint, concludes that a workingman will average five 
weeks' illness once in every three years, or that one out of every three 
workingmen will be sick in each year. A prominent benevolent society, 
organized in St. Louis for the special purpose of establishing health in- 
surance, has arrived at the conclusion that an adult requires 50 cents 
and B- child 25 cents a month for health expenditure. This totals $21 
a year for our family of five persons. Prof. Irving Fisher, of Yale, who 
has devoted considerable study to health insurance, states that the 
average expenditure resulting from illness and death in workingmen's 
budgets is $27 per annum. This amount is agreed to by the United 
States Commissioner of Labor (1912) and by Dr. Dublin, although Dr. 
Dublin supplements this by stating that even at this rate the family 
will to some extent be dependent upon charity. 

Our conclusion of $20 is based upon the fact that there are more facil- 
ities for conserving the health of a family in New York City than else- 
where and that $27 under these conditions would be too high. We 
realize, however, that it is impossible to establish beyond criticism a 
definite amount for health expenditure. This amount, first established 
in 1915, remains unchanged for 1917. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 149 

VII. — ^Insurance : 

Insurance is found to be an almost universal item in budgets of work- 
ingmen's families. The expenditure of $22.88 in our minimum esti- 
mate is based upon the assumption that the head of the family should 
be insured for $500, the wife for $100, and that the children should each 
have the smallest amount of insurance which can be obtained. , This is 
merely industrial insurance and does not provide for sickness, accident, 
or property loss. ********** 

In industrial insurance weekly payments are the rule. For a $500 
policy the premium is 25c a week, for a $100 policy 10c a week, while a 
minimum of 3c is required for the policies of children — a total weekly 
payment of 44c, or a yearly expenditure of $22.88 for the family. Our 
estimate is based on the rates offered for those policies considered most 
satisfactory by the three insurance companies which specialize in in- 
dustrial inf^urance. This amount remains the same in 1917 as in 1915. 

VIII.— Sundries: 

The item ''Sundries" includes recreation, reading, general household 
expense, church contributions, etc. It is unnecessary to defend the fact 
that a family in order to maintain a normally happy and self-respecting 
existence must have proper amusements. For recreation, therefore, we 
have allowed occasional trips to the beach, incidental car fare, moving 
picture shows, Christmas and birthday presents and miscellaneous 
amusements. For furniture, utensils, fixtures, moving expenses and 
general maintenance, $18 is allowed, although this amount could be 
legitimately increased. $5 is allowed for church contributions. Inci- 
dentals, including soap, washing material, stamps, umbrellas and other 
miscellaneous items, are totaled at $5. For reading a one-cent daily 
paper is allowed, with a Sunday paper almost every week. The result- 
ing $73 expenditure for Sundries is a fair minimum. This amount, fixed 
originally in 1915, is allowed to remain unchanged for 1917, although 
some slight increase could legitimately be made. 



150 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



APPENDIX A. 

Field Reports — Supporting Data on Food, Clothing, Rent, Fuel and 

Light. 

The prices of the above commodities were obtained during the months 
of January and February, 1915, and February, 1917: 

MINIMUM FOOD BUDGET FOR ONE WEEK FOR FAMILY OF FIVE. WITH CURRENT 

PRICES. 



Meat and Fish — 

5 lbs. beef, at 16c lb 

K lb. beef for stew, at 12c lb 

2 lbs. pork, at 14c lb., 28c or 

2 lbs. ham, at 18c lb., 36c 

1 lb. chicken (4 lbs. month), at 18c lb 

IK lbs. fresh fish, at 12c lb 

Eggs and Dairy Products — 

1 lb. butter, at 33c lb 

K lb. cheese, at 20c lb 

2 doz. eggs, at 32c doz 

16 qts. milk, at 6c qt 

Cereals — 

21 loaves of bread, at 5c 

1 doz. rolls, at 10c do? 

2 lbs. cake, at 10c lb 

Rice (1 lb. per month), at 7c lb 

Flour (3K lbs. twice a month), at 4>2C lb 
Oatmeal (2M lbs.), at 4c lb 

Vegetables, Fruits, Etc. — 

6 qts. potatoes, at 8c qt 

Turnips or carrots 

2 lbs. onions, at 3c lb . 

Fresh vegetables 

Dried beans and peas (K lb.) 

Can of tomatoes, at 10c can 

Can of corn (monthly), at 10c can 

Fresh fruit . 

Dried prunes (1 lb. per month), at 14c lb. 

Sugar, Tea, Coffee, Etc. — 

1 lb. coffee, at 20c lb 

IK lbs. sugar, at 5Mc lb 

Syrup 

Pickles, spices, etc 

% lb. tea, at 40clb 



1915 



$0.80 
.06 

.32 
.18 
.18 

$1.54 

.7,?, 
.10 
.64 
.96 

$2.03 

1.05 
.10 
.20 
.017 
.078 
.10 

$1,545 

.48 

.05 

.06 

.75 

.05 

.10 

.025 

.25 

.035 

$1.80 

.20 

.096 

.02 

.05 

.10 

$0,466 





1917 


at 20c, 


$1.00 


at 16c, 


.08 


at 22c, or 




at 22c, 


.44 


at 23c, 


.23 


at 15c, 


.225 




$1,975 


at 41c, 


.41 


at 27c, 


.135 


at 42c, 


.84 


at 8c, 


1.28 




$2,665 


at 6c, 


1.26 


at 12c, 


.12 


at 20c, 


.40 


at 8c, 


.02 


at 7c. 


.122 


at 5c, 


.125 




$2,047 


at 10c,* 


.60 




.06t 


at 8c, 


.16 




.937± 


at 14c, 


.07 " 


at 12c, 


.12 


at 12c, 


.03 




.25 


at 14c, 


.035 




$2,262 


at 20c, 


.20 


at 8c, 


.14 




.02 




.06 


at 40c, 


.10 




$0.52 



*At 5c per lb. fAverage 20 per cent increase in cost. 

JAverage 25 per cent increase in cost. 



Food Summary. 



Meat and fish 

Eggs and dairy products 

Cereals 

Vegetables, fruits, etc. . . 
Sugar, tea, coffee, etc. . . . 

Total per week 

Annual total 



1915 



$1 


54 


2 


03 


1 


545 


1 


80 




466 


$7 


381 


$383,812 



1917 



$1,975 


2.665 


2.047 


2.262 


.52 


$9,469 


$492,388 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



151 



MINIMUM CLOTHING BUDGET FOR ONE YEAR FOR FAMILY OF FIVE, 
WITH CURRENT PRICES. 



Man 


1915 


1917 


Boy (6 Years) 


1915 


1917 

$0.25 

1.75 

.50 

1.50 

.60 

.40 

.30 

.60 

3.75 

1.50 

.50 

.15 

.30 


2 Caps 


$0.75 

8.00 

5.00 

1.50 

1.50 

.50 

.30 

1.50 

.20 

.60 

6.00 

1.50 

1.50 

1.50 

.25 

.50 

.20 

.50 


$1.00 

10.00 

6.00 

2.00 

1.80 

.60 

.45 

2.00 

.20 

.60 

7.50 

1.50 

2.00 

2.00 

.25 

.50 

.20 

.50 

$39.10 


1 Cap 

1 Winter suit 


$0.25 

1.00 

.50 

1.00 

.60 

.30 

.30 

.60 

3.00 

1.50 

.50 

.10 

.30 


1 Suit 


1 Overcoat (last 3 years) .... 
1 Pair pants 


1 Overcoat (last 2 years) .... 

6 Pairs stockings 

3 Waists (material) 

Summer underwear (3 suits) 

Winter underwear (3 suits) 
3 Pairs shoes 

Repair of shoes (3 times).. . 

Mittens 




1 White shirt 


3 Collars 




2 Ties 




3 Pairs shoes 


Repair of shoes (twice) .... 
Summer underwear (2 suits) 
Winter underwear (2 suits) 

Cloth for night gown 

Gloves and mittens 


3 Handkerchiefs 




Total 


$9.95 


$12.10 


Girl (10 Years) 

2 Hats: winter 75c, summer 

50c 

1 Stocking cap (school) 

1 Coat (last 2 years) 

2 Winter dresses (material) . . 
2 Summer dresses (material) . 
1 Sweater 


$1.25 

.25 

2.00 

2.00 

1.00 

1.00 

.20 

.50 

.50 

.75 

.45 

.60 

.90 

3.00 

1.00 

.50 

2.00 


$1.25 

.25 

2.50 

2.00 

1.00 

1.00 

.30 

.50 

.50 

.75 

.45 

.75 

1.05 

3.50 

1.00 

.70 

2-. 00 


Sundries 


Total 


$31.80 




Boy (13 Years) 
2 Caps 


$0.50 

2.00 

1.00 

1.50 

.60 

.50 

.60 

.90 

4.50 

1.50 

.50 

.20 

.50 


$0.50 

3.95 

1.25 

2.00 

.60 

.65 

.90 

1.35 

6.00 

1.50 

.50 

.30 

.50 

$20.00 


1 Winter suit . 


1 Summer suit 


1 Overcoat (last 2 years) .... 




6 Pairs stockings 

2 Pairs mittens 

3 Petticoats 


3 Waists (material) . . 


Summer underwear (3 suits) 
Winter underwear (3 suits) 
3 Pairs shoes 




Summer underwear (3 suits) 
Winter underwear (3 suits) 
2 Pairs shoes 


Repair of shoes (3 times).. . 
Mittens 




Repair of shoes (twice) .... 

Rubbers 

Sundries 

Total 


Sundries 


Total 


$14.80 




$17.90 


$19.50 


Woman 

2 Hats (last 2 years) 

1 Coat (last 2 years) 

1 Suit 


$2.60 

4.00 

6.00 

1.50 

2.50 

1.00 

.45 

.30 

.60 

4.00 

1.00 

.60 

1.05 

.25 

.50 

4.00 


$2.00 

5.00 

9.00 

1.50 

2.50 

1.00 

.45 

.30 

.60 

6.00 

1.00 

.75 

1.35 

.25 

.70 

4.00 

$36.40 




3 Waists . . 




2 Petticoats 


Clothing Summary 




6 Handkerchiefs 






1915 


1917 


2 Pairs shoes 


Repair of shoes (twice) .... 
Summer underwear (3 suits) 
Winter underwear (3 suits) 


$31.80 

29.75 

17.90 

14.80 

9.95 


$39.10 
36.40 
19.50 
20.00 
12.10 


Woman 


Rubbers 

Linen and sundries 

Total 


Boy, 13 years 


Total, per year 


$29.75 


$104.20 


$127.10 





APPENDIX B. 



Selected Family Budgets. 

The following family budgets have been submitted by public and 
private organizations. They are valuable in that they represent the 
ideas and conclusions of persons who are in daily contact with social 
problems in New York City. In particular the budget submitted by 
the Bellevue Hospital Social Service Bureau should be noted because it 



152 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



is the accurate result of an intensive survey carried on by the workers of 
this bureau. In almost every case a family of five persons is assumed. 
The Bureau of Personal Service is of course not responsible for the 
prices and estimates contained in these budgets. They are quoted 
just as they were submitted to this Bureau. 



MANHATTAN. 
Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor. 

Table I.— comparison of a. I. C. p. family budgets in 191S and 1917. 



Items 


1915 
(Per month) 




1917 
(Per month) 


Rent . 


$12.00 

10.00 

3.25 

2.00 

27.03 


$9,101 
7.28 
5.46 
4.55 
3.64J 


$13.00 

10.00 

3.25 

4.00 

30.03 


Clothing 


Fuel and Light . 




Food (family of 5)— 

Man 

Woman 

Girl (10 vears) 

Child ( 6 years) 

Child ( 2 years) 

Total per month 


1 unit $8.19 

0.8 unit 6.55 

0.6 unit 4.91 

0.5 unit 4.10 

0.4 unit 3.28 


$ 54.28 
651.36 


$ 60.28 
723.36 







The fact cannot be over emphasized that the above budget indicates 
the allowance made by the Association for Improving the Condition 
of the Poor for relief purposes. It is, therefore, not in any sense an 
ideal family budget, and it is included here only for purpose of com- 
parison. The following are extracts from a statement made by Bailey 
B. Burritt, General Director, in explanation of the various items of the 
above budget, and also of the food budget in Table II. 

Rent: 

The item of rent represents an approximate average of our own rents. 
The $13.00 item for 1917 does not represent an increase in actual rent, 
as we have found but little evidence of any increase, but does indicate 
that the average standard of a home considered acceptable by the Asso- 
ciation for Improving the Condition of the Poor is higher in 1917 than 
it was in 1915. 



Clothing: 

Clothing is the least standardized item of the normal family budget. 
$2.00 a month for each individual was inadequate to cover the clothing 
budget for 1915, and is still inadequate now, but we have made no ex- 
tended study of the considerable increase of which we are conscious in 
1917. Our only justification for the clothing item in our budget is that 
much clothing is given to our families and we depend upon this to make 
up the deficiency. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 153 



Fuel and Light 



Experience has led us to adopt the standard of $3.25 for fuel and 
light as being the average expenditure for these items. It is inadequate 
in 1917. Our families have actually spent more for fuel and have done 
so by drawing on the modest clothing item allowed in our budget. 
Eight families checked up yesterday spent $29.66 for fuel and light in 
the months of January, February and March, 1917, as compared with 
$26.75 for the same period in 1915, an increase of 16.5 per cent. 

Sundries : 

For sundries we have adopted a more or less arbitrary standard of 
$1 each for the first three individuals in the family and 50c a month for 
each additional member of the family, with a maximum of $5. This 
allowance is supposed to include insurance, such household supplies as 
soap and cleaning material and other incidental expenditures. It is 
not adequate for the replenishing of household supplies. Insurance 
was not included under sundries in the $2 allowance for 1915, but is 
included in the $4 allowance for 1917. The increase from $2 to $4 
represents progress toward recognition of the inadequacy of this item 
and is still inadequate. We have not included car fare. 

Food : 

Last autumn we arbitrarily changed our food allowance per diem per 
individual from 27c to 30c. This, however, is less than the actual in- 
crease in cost of food during the past two years. A more detailed study 
of food prices is included below. (See Table II.) 

Table II indicates the results of a study made last November of the 
actual increase in the cost of food weighted as the average workingman's 
family budget should be weighted. We have also added the prices of 
the same allowance for March, 1917. The comparison therefore is 
between November, 1915, November, 1916, and March, 1917. The 
statement indicates that during one year there was an increase in food 
prices of 26.9 per cent and that between November, 1915, and March, 
1917, there was an increase of 41.1 per cent. We have kept for the pur- 
pose of this comparison the same amount of potatoes and onions as in 
1915. As a matter of fact our families have adjusted their purchases 
in this particular so that the net increase is undoubtedly not as great as 
41.1 per cent. As a check on this study we secure wholesale prices of 
a similar family order from Bradstreet's for 1915 and 1916. The total 
wholesale cost of these foods in 1915, according to their figures, was 
$4.86 and in 1916, $6.20 an increase of 27.7 per cent. The increase 
which we found in retail prices of these orders was 26.9 per cent. Brad- 
street's order was actually for a family of two adults and five children, 
but for the purpose of argument it does not change the situation. These 
figures check so closely as to indicate that our data was not far out of the 
way. 



154 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



Tabie II.— comparison OF ACTUAL RETAIL PRICES OF A SUGGESTIVE WEEKLY FOOD 
ORDER FOR A FAMILY OF TWO ADULTS AND THREE CHILDREN UNDER 14 YEARS 

OF AGE. 



Food 



Quantity 



Nov. 1915 



Nov. 1916 



Mar. 


1917 


$0 


15 





39 





68 





15 





96 





15 





08 





05 





30 





30 





20 





48 


1 


05 





10 





20 





24 





13 





07 





10 





48 





44 


1 


54 


$8 


24 


428 


48 


41 


1% 



Codfish 

Eggs 

Butter 

Cheese 

Bread 

Oatmeal 

M acaroni 

Rice 

Sugar 

Beans 

Carrots 

Onions 

Potatoes 

Tomatoes 

Apples 

Prunes 

Cocoa 

Tea 

Coffee 

Chuck steak 

Flank steak 

Milk 

Total per week 

Total per year 

Percentage increase over 1915 prices 



1 lb. 
1 doz. 
IK lbs. 
K lb. 
12 lbs. 
3 lbs. 
1 lb. 
1 lb 
3K lbs. 



lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lb. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
Klb. 
Klb. 
Klb. 
2 lbs. 
2 lbs. 
14 qts. 



$0.10 
0.31 
0.50 
0.10 
0.80 
0.12 
0.06 
0.05 
0.23 
0.18 
0.10 
0.16 
0.35 
0.10 
0.10 
0.14 
0.13 
0.07 
0.10 
0.44 
0.44 
1 26 

$5 . 84 
303 . 68 



$0.15 
0.49 
0.65 
0.12 
0.96 
0.15 
0.08 
0.06 
0.28 
0.30 
0.16 
0.20 
0.75 
0.10 
0.20 
0.18 
0.13 
0.07 
0.10 
0.44 
0.44 
1.40 

$7.41 
385.32 
26.9% 



BROOKLYN. 
1. 

Estimates by Margaret F. Byington and Margerat Perkins, Superin- 
tendents, Department of Service and Relief, Brooklyn Bureau of Chari- 
ties, of minimum American family budgets for husband, wife and three 
children under fourteen years, living in Brooklyn: 



Rent (4 rooms) 

Food 

Car fare 

Fuel and light (maximum) 

Clothing 

Furniture and sundries (minimum) 
Insurance 



Total per week . 



Yearly total 

*Health, 50c per week 

*Recreation, 50c per week. 



1915 



$3.00 
7.00 

.60 
1.00 
2.00 
1.00 

.50 



$ 15.10 



$785.20 



1917 



$3.00 
9.00 

.60 
1.00 
3.00 
1.00 

.50 

$ 18.10 

a941 .20 
26.00 
26.00 

$993.20 



*Not included in 1915 estimate. 



BUDGETARY STUIDES. 



155 



2. 

Estimate by Katherine A. Ward and Patrick Mallon, Society of St. 
Vincent de Paul, Brooklyn, of a. fair standard American family budget for 
husband, wife, and three children under 14 years, living in Brooklyn: 



Rent 


1915 


1917 


$ 3.00 
*10.50 
.60 
.25 
.75 
.40 


$ 3.00 

12.00 

1.25 

.25 

1.25 

.40 


Food . 




Gas (including occasional use of cooking stove) 

Clothing 


Insurance 




S 15.50 
$806.00 


$ 18.15 
$94 3 . 80 


Yearly total •. 


Not included: Health, Car fare, and Sundries. 



♦Stated that the S1.50 per day food allowance would purchase only the bare necessities and good 
household managership \vould be required to keep out of debt. The clothing estimate is very low. 



SOCIAL SERVICE BUREAU OF BELLEVUE HOSPITAL. 

The following is an itemized family budget as drawn up by Mary 
Wadley, supervisor of the Social Service Bureau of Bellevue Hospital, 
and five district workers, who have obtained all the information at first 
hand. These figures are the conservative estimates of women who are 
daily meeting problems arising from poverty, and who have an exact 
knowledge of the needs of the typical worker's family. These are not 
ideal estimates. They represent the practical requirements for main- 
taining a decent standard of living. 

The basis of this budget is a family of five — husband, wife, and three 
children under 14 years. 



HOUSING 

Rent (3 rooms) , S 14 per month 


1915 
Per year. 


1917 
Per year. 


$168.00 


$168.00 


CAR FARE 






Cai fare (303 days) 


30 30 


$30 30 


FUEL AND LIGHT 






Fuel— 3 bushels coal, at 25c per bushel 

6 bundles wood, at 2c per bundle 


0.75 
.12 


at 40c, 1.20 
at2Kc, .15 

$1.35 
35 10 


$0.87 
22 62 


Total per year (26 weeks) 


Fuel (total coal and wood) 

Gas — $1 .25 per month x 6K months 


$22.62 
8.125 
12.375 


$35.10 
8.125 
12.375 


2 . 25 per month x 5K months (summer)* 

Total per year 


$43.12 


$55.60 





*No coal is used during the summer months. The gas bill is, therefore, increased $1 per month 



156 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



FOOD 
Minimum Budget for One Week. 



Meat and Fish 

5 lbs. beef, at 13c a lb 

y2 lb. beef, at 10c a lb 

2 lbs. pork, at 32c a lb., 64c or 

2 lbs. ham, at 14c a lb., 2«c. av 

1 lb. chicken (4 lbs. a month) 

IK lbs. fresh fish, at 8c a lb 



Eggs and Dairy Products — 



1 lb. butter 

K lb. cheese, at 18c 

24 eggs (storage, 31e a doz.) 

16 qts. milk,* at 6c a qt 

Cereals — 

21 loaves of bread, at 5c 

1 doz. rolls 

2 lbs. cake, at 10c a lb 

Rice (1 lb. per mo) 

Flour (3^ lbs. twice a month) . . . 
Oatmeal (2K lbs.), at 4c a lb 

Vegetables, Fruits, Etc. — 

6 qt''. Potatoes (10c for 3M lbs.). , 

Turnips or carrots 

2 lbs. onions, at 2c a lb 

Fresh vegetables 

Dried beans and peas 

Can of tomatoes! 

Can of corn (per month 8c) 

Fresh fruit 

Dried prunes (1 lb. per month 8c) 



Sugar, Tea, Coffee, Etc. — 

IK lbs. coffee., at 20c a lb 

IK lbs. sugar (18c for 3K lbs.) 
Syrup (four 10c cans per year) . 
Pickles, Spices, etc 



Food Summary 

Meat and fish 

Eggs and dairy products 

Cereals 

Vegetables, fruits, etc 

Sugar, tea, coffee, etc 

Total per week 

Total per year 



1915 



$0.65 
.05 

.46 
.16 

.12 

$1.44 



$1.18 



$0.30 
.09 
.008 
.05 

$0,448 




1917 



at 18c, $0.90 
at 15c, .08 

at 20c, or 
at 20c. .40 

.24 
at 14c. .21 

$1.83 



$0.29 




$0.42 


.09 


at 30c, 


.15 


.62 


at 55c, 


1.10 


.96 


at 9c, 


1.44 


$1.96 


$3.11 


$1.05 


at 6c, 


$1.26 


.10 




.12 


.20 


at 15c, 


.30 


.02 


2K lbs., per mo, 






at 8c. 


.05t 


.07 




.10 


.10 


at 5c, 


.13 


$1.54 


$1.96 


$0.18 


1 qt.,at20c. qt. 


. $0.20t 


.05 




.10 


.04 


at 10c, 


.20 


.50 




.75 


.05 




.12 


.07 




.10 


.02 


at 12c, 


.03 


.25 




.35 


.02 


at 14c, 


.035 



at 26c, 



$1,885 



$1.83 
3.11 
1.96 
1.885 
.488 

$ 9.273 
482.196 



♦Loose milk. 

tit will be noted that rice is largely substituted for potatoes because of the high price of potatoes. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



157 



CLOTHING 
Budget for One Year 



Man 



2 hats or caps 

1 suit 

1 overcoat ($10, last 2 yrs.) 

1 pair of pants 

3 working shirts 

2 white shirts 

6 collars 

2 pairs of overalls 

4 ties 

4 handkerchiefs ^. . 

6 pairs hose 

Gloves and mittens 

Shoes, 2 pairs 

Repair of shoes (twice) .... 
Underwear 

Summer, two suits 

Winter, two suits 



1915 



$2.00 

10.00 

5.00 

2.00 

1.50 

1.00 

.60 

1.50 

.50 

.20 

.60 

.50 

4.00 

1.50 

1.00 
1.50 



$33.40 



1917 



$2.00 

14.00 

7.00 

2.50 

1.50 

1.50 

.90 

1.96 

.60 

.20 

.90 

.50 

5.00 

1.50 

1.00 
1.50 



$42.56 



Woman 



2 hats ($6, last 2 yrs.) 

1 coat ($8, last 2 yrs.) 

1 suit 

3 waists (2 at 50c and 1 
at $1) 

2 wash dresses 

2 petticoats 

3 aprons 

6 handkerchiefs 

6 pairs stockings 

2 pairs shoes 

Repair of shoes (twice) .... 
Underwear 

Summer, three suits 

Winter, two suits 

Gloves and mittens 

Linen 

Rubbers 

Sundries 



$39.25 



$46 . 40 



Boys (6 and 4 Years) 



2 caps 

1 suit (2 trousers), winter. . 
1 overcoat ($3, last 2 yrs.) 
6 prs. stockings 

3 waists 

Underwear 

Summer, 3 suits 

Winter, 3 suits 

Shoes, 2 pairs 

Repair of shoes (twice) . . . . 

3 Ferris waists 

6 handkerchiefs 

Mittens, 2 pairs 

Rubbers 

Ties . . . 

Summer suit 

Sundries 

Each 



$1.00 

3.00 

1.50 

.50 

.75 

.60 

1.00 

3.00 

1.00 

.75 

.25 

.50 

.50 

.25 

1.00 

.50 



$16.10 



Girl 



2 hats, winter best, $1.50 
Summer best, $1.00 (last 
2 yrs.,), $2.50 

1 stocking cap (school) .... 

2 winter dresses 

2 wash dresses (summer) . . 
1 coat ($4, last 2 yrs.) .... 

1 sweater 

6 handkerchiefs 

6 pairs stockings 

2 pairs mittens 

3 petticoats 

Linen 

3 Ferris waists 

Underwear 

Summer, 3 suits 

Winter, 2 suits 

Shoes, 2 pairs 

Repair of shoes (twice) .... 

Rubbers 

Sundries 



$1.00 

4.00 

2.25 

.90 

.75 

.60 

1.50 

4.00 

1.00 

.75 

.30 

.50 

.65 

.35 

2.00 

.50 



$21.05 



$1 


25 




25 


4 


00 


2 


00 


2 


00 


1 


00 




25 




50 




50 




75 


1 


50 




75 




60 


1 


00 


4 


00 


1 


00 




50 


1 


50 


$23 


35 



$1.25 

.50 

5.00 

2.00 

2.50 

1.50 

.30 

.90 

.50 

1.00 

2.00 

.75 

.60 
2.00 
5.00 
1.00 

.65 
2.00 

$29.45 



Clothing Summary. 


1915 


1917 


Man - ■ 


$33.40 
39.25 
32.20 
23.35 


$42.56 
46.40 
42.10 
29.45 


Woman . 
Boys (2). 
Girl 
















Total per year. 




$128.20 


$160.51 











Iransunce. 


1915 


1917 




10c 
10c 
15c 

35c per week — $18.20 per year. 


No 
change. 


Average weekly premium, female adult 







153 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



HEALTH. 

1915 1917 

Medicines 50c per month — $6 . 00 per year. No change. 

Note. — No doctor's fees are included in this budget, because the Social Service Bureau has based 
its figures on families receiving free medical treatment at Bellevue Hospital. 



SUNDRIES. 

Papers and other reading matter 

Recreation 

Church dues 

Furniture, utensils, fixtures, etc 

Spending money for father 

Miscellaneous — soap, washing material, stamps, moving expenses, etc 

Total per year 



1915 


1917 


$ 5.00 

35.00 

10.00 

15.00 

5.00 

5.00 


$ 5.00 

35.00 

10.00 

20.00 

5.00 

8.00 


$75.00 


$83.00 



Final Summary 



Housing 

Car fare 

Fuel and light 

Clothing 

Insurance 

*Health (Medicine) 

Sundries 

Food 

Total per year 

Allowance for doctor's fees or sick benefit organization dues 

Grand total 

*This does not include fees for doctor's services. 



1915 


1917 


Per year. 


Per year. 


$168.00 


$168.00 


30.30 


30.30 


43.12 


55.60 


128.20 


160.51 


18.20 


18.20' 


6.00 


6.00 


75.00 


83.00 


341.536 


482.196 


$810,356 


$1,003,806 


14.00 


14.00 


$824,356 


$1,017,806 



TENTATIVE FAMILY BUDGETS SUBMITTED BY SOCIAL WORKERS 
OF THE UNITED HEBREW CHARITIES, FOR AN UNSKILLED 
LABORER'S FAMILY OF FIVE PERSONS. 

In submitting the revised figures for 1917, the United Hebrew Charities 
makes the following statement: "A recent study indicates that there is 
a 25 per cent increase in food prices, and though a thorough inquiry has 
not been made into the cost of other commodities, it is safe to say that 
there is a 10 per cent increase in rent, fuel, clothing and household sup- 
plies." 



(1) 

_1. Housing (4 rooms at $14) 

'2. Carfare (50 weeks at 60 cents — 1 person) 

3. Food ($8 per week) 

4. Fuel and light (3 tons coal— gas, $2 per month) 

5. Clothing 

6. Health 

7. Insurance 

8. Sundries 

Yearly total 

Sundries classified — 

Papers and other reading matter 

Recreation 

Furniture, utensils, fixtures, etc 

Lodge dues 

Spending money for the father 

Miscellaneous — soap, washing material, stamps, moving 
expenses, etc 

Yearly total 



1915 



$168.00 
30.00 

416.00 
47.00 

100. OC 
20.00 
25.00 

100.00 



$906.00 



$ 5.00 

40.00 

25.00 

5.00 

15.00 

10.00 



($10 per week) 



1917 



$184.80 
30.00 

520.00 
49.30 

110.00 
20.00 
25.00 

110.00 



$1,049.10 



JIOO.OO 

Submitted by R. P. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



1:59 



(2) 



1 . Housing 

2 . Car fare .* 

3. Food 

4. Fuel and light 

5. Clothing 

6. Health (dispensary) 

7. Insurance (lodge) 

8. Sundries 

Yearly total 

Sundries classified — 

Papers and other reading matter 

Recreation 

Furniture, utensils, fixtures, etc 

Church dues 

Spending money for the father 

Miscellaneous — soap, washing material, stamps, moving expenses, etc. 

Yearly total 



$156.00 
30.00 

364.00 
40.00 

100.00 



16.00 
77.00 



$783.00 



$5.00 

40.00 

15.00 

5.00 

7.00 

5.00 



$77.00 



1917 



S171.60 

30.00 

455.00 

42.00 

110.00 

i6!66 

84.70 



$909 . 30 



Submitted by M. Halpern, Supervisor, District No. 4, February 11, 1915. 

(3) 

I am making only a rough estimate, as such a budget would take con- 
siderable time and should be based upon a careful investigation of a 
number of families of a given group. 

Assuming that the ages of the children are 11,9 and 7, and that they 
are girls, I have made the following estimate : 





1915 


1917 


$144.00 
30.00 

*377.00 
31.00 

100.00 
20.00 
25.00 
51.00 


$158.40 
30.00 

471.25 
32.50 

110.00 
20.00 
25.00 
56.10 


2. Car fare . 


3. Food 


4. Fuel and light. . . . 


5. Shoes and clothing (this includes 2 pairs of shoes each for the children at 
$1.50, and 2 pairs each for the man and woman at $4, excluding cost of 


6. Health .• 


7. Insurance 




Yearly total 


$778.00 

$ 5.00 

26.00 

15.00 

5.00 


$903 . 25 


Sundries classified — 

Papers and other reading matter 


Recreation 


Furniture, utensils, fixtures, shoe repairing 


Miscellaneous 


Yearly total ... 


s^51.00 





*Allowing $2 per week for man, $1.50 for woman, $1.25 for each of the three children. This is a more 
liberal estimate than that given by Chapin's Budget, which was made a few years ago. I increased the 
amount to meet the present needs of higher cost of living. 

Submitted by Anna Fox. 



14.— DIGEST OF LITERATURE ON COST OF LIVING OF 
WORKINGMEN IN NEW YORK CITY. 

The Bureau of Standards of New York City in its report of 1915 
to the Committee on Salaries and Grades of the Board of Estimate, on 
the Cost of Living for an Unskilled Laborer's Famil3% submitted a digest 
of the authoritative literature bearing on the subject. This is reprinted 
here because of its value in giving, in brief summary form, the results of 
independent and impartial studies as to the minimum family standards 
of workingmen, and the basis for an estimate as to how they have been 
affected by rising prices. 



160 BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

INDEX TO DIGEST. 

The Standard of Living Among Workingmen's Families in New York 
City. 
Robert Coit Chapin. 

Russell Sage Foundation, 1909. 
The Influence of Income on Standards of Life. 
Robert Coit Chapin. 

American Economic Association Publication, Vol. 10, 1909. 
Cost of Living for Wage-Earner's Family in New York City. 
Louise Bolard More. 

Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sci- 
ence, July, 1913. 
Wage-Earner's Budgets. 

Louise Bolard More. 
Financing the Wage-Earner's Family. 
Scott Nearing. 

New York, B. W. Huebsch, 1913 . 
A Living Wage. 

John Augustine Ryan. 

New York, The MacMillan Co., 1906 . 
Utilization of the Family Income. 
Martha Bensley Bruere. 

Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sci- 
ence, July, 1913 . 
Some Unconsidered Elements in Household Expenditures. 
Margaret Frances Byington. 

Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sci- 
ence, July, 1913 . 
Cost of Living of the Normal Family. 
Frank Hatch StreightofT. 

DIGEST. 

Several reliable and accurate studies have been made of the cost of 
living for laborers in New York City. The book generally regarded as 
standard is Robert Coit Chapin's "The Standard of Living Among 
Workingmen's Families in New York City." 

"THE STANDARD OF LIVING AMONG WORKINGMEN'S FAMILIES IN 

NEW YORK CITY." 

This volume is a compendium of the data obtained by the Special Com- 
mittee on Standard of Living, appointed by the seventh New York State 
Conference of Charities and Correction, and contains a detailed study 
of the expenditures and living conditions of 391 families in Greater 
New York, averaging five persons each whose incomes range approxi- 
mately from $600 to $1,100. Twenty-five families below the $600 
mark and forty-eight above the $1,100 mark are included for the sake of 
indicating tendencies, but the main attention is concentrated upon the 
318 families within the $600 to $1,100 range. The families under dis- 
cussion are distributed as follows: 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 161 

(a) By Borough — 

Manhattan 291 

Bronx * 17 

Brooklyn 64 

Queens 9 

Total .. 391 



(b) By nationality of the father — - 

American 88 

Teutonic 46 

Irish 26 

Colored 29 

Bohemian 14 

Russian 78 

Austro-Hungarian 39 

Italian 69 

Others 2 

Total.... 391 



(c) By occupation — 

Domestic and personal service 96 

Trade 47 

Transportation 53 

Manufacturing and mechanical trades. 189 

Professional 6 

Total 391 



The occupations represented are principally those of the less skilled 
employments, in which the wage is from $2 to $3 a day. In the group 
are found laborers, teamsters, garment workers, bar-tenders, cooks, 
waiters, janitors, tradesmen, agents, clerks, dealers, etc. 

The expenditures are analyzed under the following heads: (1) 
Housing, (2) Car fare, (3) Fuel and Light, (4) Food, (5) Clothing, (6) 
Health, (7) Insurance, (8) Sundry minor items. 

Tables and charts show the apportionment (averages and percentages) 
of expenditures by: 

1. Income group, i. e., $600 to $699; $700 to $799; $800 to $899- 
$900 to $999; $1,000 to $1,099 per year. 

2. Nationality. 

3. Borough (in some cases). 

The relation of income to expenditure is compared in detail by in; 
come groups and nationalities carefully analyzed and summarized in 
the following table, which in concentrated form gives a comprehensive 
review of the problem: 



162 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 





<u 


ir, 00 00 o o^ 




lOCNOOlO 










■u 


t^O-<tOTt< 




n 


Tjfvor- Os^ 










U) 


«/^ 






00(NOvOO 






t^OT-<rOOC 




"rt 


f) •* tN fO Tj< 




4; 


-H .,-< C^l CS ,-1 




K 


6^ 




a; 


lO >* (M ,- O 




g 








fO««~~fO lO 












^^ 




C 






•"" 




















3 


M 


OOOn ON Tft^ 


■*-' 


C 


rl-t^ lOf^iO 




x; 


fO OCfO CN>0 


u 














(LI 










O M V2 CN VO 


E 




■^00<M'-l'* 


o 






o 


OvrOiOOuo 


I"" 


fc 


CNfOfO ■* ■* 














01 












<u 






< 


'O 


-^^Tj-O'^ 




t^ CNOt^ T-l 












t^ V3— < V0\0 




"S M 


cOfO^'tTt 




3— < 


4^ 




fe 




O 


— rovoao 






roiooot^ '^ 






'^OiOf^ 00 
















U 








0\^Tt<t^ <>J 




^ 






c 


rrj rt 00 -^fO 




»i 


u-/ vo vC r^ 00 




^ 




<U 1 ,• 


t^ OOOOOt- 




15 ^'g^ 


lo c^oot^lo 










O'o-Hoa> 








^(-.ooi^vo 




«J n; 






igi 


T-HOOCMO •^ 




O oo ^ oi ^ 








MDt^OOONO 




<^ 


^ ^ 




0)0 . 

> 6 fc 






CN_(N^O 




TflOiOiOlO 








a; 




<« 




c 


o . 




o 










tN ONfOf^'-< 


H 






6 e 










o 


z"^ 




Q 














OvOsOsOsOn 






o^ c^ ©> o\ 0\ 




p d 


^t^KO^O 




3 o 


ioooi 




£o 






\Ot^00O\O 






6^ »H 



Q O 



O .3 CO 



S I 



CO ^ 





05 


00 ■* ««, t-. r^ r^ 






t>.000) OOO 




;-i 








•a 


00<r)(^ 1 ^O^OtN 




fl 


OOOrO CNOt^ 










i/i 


^ 


" 




jC 






















































rt 






















































>^ 


















.: 


^-Tj-O VOfNtN 




C3 


Oro^ u^-H<J 




2 






3 


f^. f^ fS t^i fO ro 


?^ 


C 




«^ 


3 


I—" 




















"S 






1 


a 


M 


Ot-lO OfTf 




■^ (NU-) lor^ CN 




Xi 




O 


lo^ooo i^io l:^ 






^ 


Vi 


u 














a 


















^OrOvC 


OTf<VO 


'"' 


T) 


OOf 


^(MVO 


M 


1 


OvvOC 


On t^ O 


S 


Ov (NOG 




<Nrof<- 




0) 






€© 


> 








<; 










-a ■ 
a . 


VOCN — 


NOiOO 




roiou- 


^ONt- 




i; M 


t-t^ -tj 


O 0^■>* 




<^ Tj< Tj 


Tj^COTt- 












fe 








<u 




































rt 




































^ 


















aJ 


















U 




















lO^ON 


0!>0» 




^ 


looooo 


W*NO 






fvlO^ 






■*>mo 


1/5VO 












4»5 


4^ 




<L) . 


u^^OO 


Ovt^OO 




"rt^gji 


0\^ CM 


t^vOOv 






voa^ 


toom 










o^oo 


^^00 


Total 
Average 
Income. 


TfOOO 


lor^ (N 


^t^OO 




'HOO 


>C00O 


u^Tjirr 


NOOJOV 




t^t^OO 


i^ 


€*5. 


















a; O ^ 














sS§ 














^fOOv 












>ife 


10>0 10 












<B n 














2 












1-w 








° ,;; 






.2 


fe.H 


OsJ^iO 


OOvO 






c^^f>^<^^ 


•tf^ro 




ss 






<u 


s m 






Q 








OJ . 


OOO 






82 

•So 


Ikk 






^ 





BUDGETARY STUDIES. 163 

Dr. Chapin has carefully prepared statistics showing in general the 
minimum expenditure required for each item. His conclusions, with- 
out respect to nationality or borough, are as follows: 

Housing : 

When it is remembered that in most quarters of the City an apart- 
ment of four rooms costs more than $14 a month, it will be seen that no 
proper standard for housing conditions can be maintained for a year 
at less than twelve times this amount, or $168. 

Car Fare: 

$25 a year is needed by the average family for car fare. 

Fuel and Light : 

The minimum required for this purpose is tabulated as follows: 

Three tons of coal, at $6.50 $19.50 

Wood and matches 3 . 00 

Gas, at $2 per month in summer, and $1 

per month in winter 18.00 



Total $40.50 per year. 



Food: 



On the basis of prices prevailing in the summer of 1907, the families 
which spent at the rate of less than 22 cents per man per day did rot 
have sufficient food to maintain physical efficiency. Dr. Chapin did 
not arrive at definite conclusions regarding the amount of food required 
by a family, since it necessarily varies according to the ages of the 
children. He did, however, consider one family consisting of father, 
mother and three children, aged four, three and two years, respectively, 
and in this case regarded $4.24 per week, not including lunches for the 
man, as the absolute minimum. (This minimum pre-supposes a house- 
wife with a knowledge of the nutritive values of foods, efficient in house- 
hold management and able to exercise judgment in purchasing supplies, 
a decidedly extravagant supposition. Nor is it fair to base estimates 
on conditions existing in a family in which the children are so young. 
Authorities generally agree that not less than $7.00 per week is required 
for food). 

Clothing: 

Not less than $100 is required to provide decent clothing for a normal 
family of five. 



164 BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

Health: 

Aside from a flat statement that an $800 income does not permit 
expenditures sufficient to care properly for the health of the family, 
Dr. Chapin does not allow any fixed sum for health expenses. Statistics 
show that where the health expenditures are heavy, expenditures in 
other directions are curtailed. For instance, an abnormally low ex- 
penditure for the man's clothing appears in one schedule, where it is 
stated also that he was sick in a hospital for several weeks. In other 
cases where the health expenditure is large, the expenditures for amuse- 
ment, recreation and miscellaneous purposes disappear. 

Insurance : 

Insurance is carried by a majority of families, but generally of the 
industrial type, more properly described as burial insurance than life 
insurance. Policies usually amount to $100 fcr adults and $50 for 
children. Twenty-five dollars a year is a very reasonable expenditure 
for this purpose. 

Sundry Minor Items : 

These include expenditures for furniture, recreation and amusements, 
education and reading matter, moving, and dues and contributions. 
The expenditures vary from $47.55 to $114.59. Dr. Chapin does not 
venture to state a minimum. 



GENERAL CONCLUSIONS OF DR. CHAPIN. 

1. "An income under $800 is not enough to permit the maintenance 
of a normal standard." 

2. "An income of $900 or over probably permits the maintenance 
of a normal standard, at least as far as the physical man is concerned." 

3. "It seems probable that on an amount ranging from $800 to $900, 
the standards prevailing among Bohemians, Russians, Austrians and 
Italians may be maintained, but that it is the exception rather than the 
rule, when the more expensive standards of the American and kindred 
nationalities are maintained on this amount." 

4. "A comparison of the families by nationalities shows that at 
almost every point a lower standard of expenditure prevails among the 
Bohemians, Russians, Austrians and Italians than among the Ameri- 
cans, Teutons and Irish. The families of the former group on incomes 
above $700 to $800 begin to save and show a surplus * * * while fami- 
lies of the other group do not reach the saturation point, so to speak, 
below an income of $900 or $1,000." 

5. "The standard of living varies as the two jaws of the vise, wages 
and prices contract and relax." 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 165 

"THE INFLUENCE OF INCOME ON STANDARDS OF LIFE." 

In this article Dr. Chapin brings out the following: That 22 cents 
per diem per man is the minimum allowance for food ; that one and one- 
half persons to a room, not over six persons to four rooms, is the minimum 
standard of housing; and that $100 per year is the absolute minimum 
for clothing and washing. 

According to these standards the following conditions in income 
groups appear: 

(a) $400 to $500: All are underfed. 

88% underclad. 
65% overcrowded. 

(b) $500 to $600: 65% underfed. 

8S% underclad. 
71% overcrowded. 

(c) $600 to $700: 33% underfed. 

63% underclad. 
51% overcrowded. 

For every income group thereafter, overcrowding is the main evil* 
Even in the $1,100 group, where none are underfed and only 6% under- 
clad, 21% are overcrowded. 

The above facts show that, in (a) the need of shelter is being satisfied 
at the expense of food and clothing, in (b) the desire for sufficient food 
is being satisfied at the expense of shelter. A higher rental is paid but 
more people are crowded into the rooms. 

In discussing savings, Dr. Chapin shows that the fact that money is 
saved is no proof that a proper standard of physical efficiency is attained. 
Many families save at the expense of efficiency and comforts. For 
example, in the three income groups mentioned above, 50% of the 
underfed, 65% of the underclad, and 44% of the overcrowded, report 
a surplus of $25 or more. It is interesting to note that the proportion 
of families saving money among the Russian and Italian families is much 
higher than among the Americans. 

"COST OF LIVING FOR A WAGE-EARNER'S FAMILY IN 
NEW YORK CITY." 

With the exception of Dr. Chapin's work upon this problem, Louise 
Bolard More has accomplished more for our purpose than any other 
authority. In this article Mrs. More designates $850 a year, or $16.50 
a week, as a representative income of the typical family under discussion. 
This income is a little above the point where a household ceases to run 
into debt. It allows a small margin whereby a respectable family 
may retain a fair physical and moral standard under city conditions. 



166 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



"Other investigations, as well as my own, have placed this as a fair 
average for workingmen's families in a city like New York." 

Her conclusions are based on the following conservative family bud- 
get: 



Object of Expenditure. 


Per week 


Per year 


Rent 


$3.25 

7.00 

2.00 

.80 

.70 

2.75 


$168 

364 

100 

40 

35 

143 


Food 


Clothing 


Fuel and light 


Insurance . 


Sundries 


Total 


$16.50 


$850 





This budget is supported by the following data : 

Rent: 

Thirteen dollars and fifty cents per month is 19.4% of total expendi- 
ture. Three or four rooms at present rates would cost $12, $16 or $18 
per month. Conservative estimate: $14 per month — $168 per year. 

Food: 

Recent investigations place necessary expenditure for food at 22c 
per day per man. Thus, for a family of five, with the children aged 12, 
8 and 3 years, $5.70 is a minimum, but this necessitates scientific knowl- 
edge of food values, household efficiency, and economical buying. 

One dollar per day is generally regarded by housekeepers as adequate 
to provide nutrition for a family of five or six persons. Conservative 
estimate: $7 per week — $364 per year. 

Clothing : 

The expenditure for clothing varies greatly, 
is considered a minimum allowance. 



However, $100 per year 



Fuel and Light : 

Coal at $6 to $6.50 a ton or 25c a bushel or 10c a pail. 

Gas at 25c per 250 cubic feet. 

Wood — gathered by children. 

Twenty-five families with incomes between $800 and $900 average 
$44.51 per year for light and fuel. Conservative estimate: $40 per 
year. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 167 

Insurance : 

Expenditure for this item is almost universal. Only 26 out of the 200 
families investigated did not carry life insurance. Policies vary from 
$50 to $300, bearing a premium of $30 to $40 per year. Average amount-— 
$37.19. In one case an expenditure of $127 per year with an income of 
only $1,200 was discovered. Conservative estimate — $35. 

Sundries, Car Fare, Furniture, etc. : 



Papers and magazines 

Furniture, kitchen utensils, etc 

Recreation (summer excursions, dances, theatres, etc.) 

Drink (occasional pint of beer at supper — man not a hard drinker) . 

Church dues 

Spending money — father (including shaves, tobacco, car fares to 

and from work, union dues, and drink outside home) 

Occasional sickness 

Miscellaneous — domestic service in time of sickness, soap, washing 

materials writing paper, stamps, moving expenses, etc 

Total 



Per year. 



$ 5.00 

15.00 

20.00 

20.00 

5.00 

50.00 
10.00 or less 

18.00 



$143.00 



"WAGE-EARNERS' BUDGETS." 
In this book, Louise Bolard More again concludes that a well-nour- 
ished family of five in New York City needs at least $6 per week for 
food. The average food expenditure for 39 families of five persons each 
was $327.24 per year or $6,293 per week. Considering $6 a week or 
$312 per year as 43.4% of the total expenditure, that being the average 
percentage expended for food in the 200 families under immediate con- 
sideration and approximately the average arrived at in the extensive 
investigation of the U. S. Department of Labor, the total expenditure 
for all purposes would be about $720 a year. Making allowance for a 
larger proportion of surplus than was found in these families, in order 
to provide for the future, the minimum income should be from $800 to 
$900 per year. 

"FINANCING THE WAGE-EARNER'S FAMILY." 
This book by Scott Nearing discusses in detail the question of the 
standard of living, but his chapter upon individual family budgets, with 
particular reference to a minimum New York City budget, contains the 
only information that would be useful for our purpose. This particular 
discussion is a criticism of a family budget obtained by Mrs. More. 

The budget was prepared by an average Irish family, consisting of 
father, mother, and two boys, eight and nine years of age. The man was 
a steady, temperate, unskilled laborer, and the woman, who had con- 
siderable native thrift, was neat, honest and reliable. 
The estimated expenditures were as follows: 



Rent: 2 mos. at $10; 7 mos. at $12; 3 mos. at $11 

Food, from $4 to $7 a week 

Drink (pint of beer at supper daily) 

Clothing 

Light and fuel , 

Insurance from 50 to 75 cents a week 

Papers, 1 1 cents a week. .....,..., 

Church, 35 cents a week (for 50 weeks) 

Man's spending nioney 

Sundries 

TotaU 

Income 

Deficit 



Per year. 



$137.00 
277.00 
36.40 
40.00 
52.00 
29.25 

5.72 
17.50 
25.00 

2.03 



$622.50 
600.00 



$22.50 



168 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



Upon analysis Mr. Nearing shows the cost of food to be sHghtly more 
than the 22c per man per day estimate, while the expenditure for cloth- 
ing is abnormally low, so low in fact that it cannot be considered accu- 
rate. The housing was inadequate, with only three small dark rooms, 
the windows of two of these opening into an airshaft. There was no 
allowance whatsoever for recreation or health. 

"A LIVING WAGE." 



For the purpose of comparing conditions in New York City with con- 
ditions elsewhere, the family budgets following are included. They are 
the result of a study made by John Augustine Ryan, as described in 
Chapter VII of his book — "A Living Wage." He compares two family 
budgets, one by the U. S. Commissioner of Labor in 1905, showing the 
average yearly cost of living for 2,132 families averaging 5.7 persons, 
the other a revision of this same budget showing the cost of living at 
minimum prices. 
Family budget,- from the seventh Same budget revised to show the 

annual report of the Commis- cost of living at minimum 

sioner of Labor (1905). prices. 



Food 

Rent (av. no. of rms. 4.7) . 
Fuel 



Lighting 

Clothing 

Taxes (nearly Yz 

return for this) . . . 
Insurance (property) 
Insurance (life) 



of families made no 



Organizations (labor) 

Organizations (other) 

Religion 

Charity 

Furniture and utensils (an irreducible 

minimum) 

Books and newspapers (school books in 

eluded, ridiculously low) 

Amusements and vacations 

Intoxicating liquors 

Tobacco 

Sickness and death 

Other purposes 



Total $687.02 



Per year | 


$287 


06 


72 


58 


35 


75 


4 


90 


107 


40 


5 


43 


6 


47 


20 


22 


6 


06 


6 


60 


10 


29 


2 


80 


19 


79 


5 


25 


9 


36 


15 


98 


10 


48 


22 


31 


38 


19 


$687.02 



Food 

Rent 

Fuel 

Lighting 

Clothing 

Insurance (property) 

Insurance (life) 

(Eliminated because he should have 
saved enough to provide for old 
age.) 

Organizations (labor) 

Organizations (other) 

Religion 

Charity 

Furniture and utensils 

Books and newspapers 

Amusements and vacations 

Intoxicating liquors 

Tobacco 

Sickness and death (provided for by 

saving). 
Other purposes 

Total 



Per year. 

$235.00 

84.00 

30.00 

4.90 

107.40 

5.00 



6.06 
6.60 

10.29 
2.80 

19.79 

10.00 

20.00 

10.00 

8.00 



38.19 



$601.03 



The total average of expendi- 
tures per family was $610.61. 
The discrepancy arose from the 
fact that hundreds of families 
made no mention of several items. 



Conclusions. 

(1) In New York, $600 would 
not, even during periods of low 
prices, obtain the irreducible 
minimum of the revised column. 
It is not a living wage in New 
York City. 

(2) Anything less than $600 is 
not a living wage in cities of the 
United States. 

(3) This sum is probably a liv- 
ing wage in certain cities of the 
South where goods and rent are 
cheaper. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



169 



15.— MINIMUM STANDARDS OF FAMILY INCOME. (FROM 

CONDITIONS OF LABOR IN AMERICAN INDUSTRIES. 

LAUCK AND SYDENSTRICKER, 1917.) 

The Point of Adequate Subsistence. — The various recent investiga- 
tions of budgets of famihes in different ranges of income appear to indi- 
cate quite clearly that the point of adequate subsistence is not reached 
until an income of about $800 or $900 is provided. The percentage of 
family income spent for food remains practically the same, or is greater, 
in families with incomes of less than that amount; in families with in- 
comes of $800 or more, the percentage of income spent for food is found 
to be proportionately less as income increases, indicating that only then 
is income sufhcient to allow a surplus left from food, rent, etc., to be 
spent on "incidentals." 

This conclusion was shown by the British Board of Trade's inquiry 
into the cost of living in American towns, in 1909, as well as by Chapin's 
New York investigation, in 1907, to which reference has already been 
made. "These figures," said Chapin, referring to the percentages in 
relation to income groups, "would seem to indicate that not until the 
family is able to spend well beyond $1,000 does it satisfy its wants for 
food on a smaller proportion of its total income than when it had only 
$600 or $700 for all purposes. Whether this is due to insufficient nutri- 
tion or lower income, or to indulgence of more expensive tastes as re- 
sources increase, we may be able at a later point to suggest. Certainly 
the point of diminishing percentages !of expenditure for food is placed 
much higher in the income scale than in the cases on which Engel based 
his well-known generalizations. (^) 

Engel's generalizations were borne out quite positively with regard to 
expenditures for food by the Federal Bureau of Labor's Cost of Living 
Study in 1901, as the statistics already quoted in the chapter on Family 
Income and Expenditure shows. Chapin's more intensive study fur- 
nished further data, which are extremely interesting, regarding the 
proportion of underfed in the various income groups. An analysis of 
the nutrition values of the food of these families showed that the pro- 
portion of underfed families was as follows: (^) 



6 R. C. Chapin: Standard of Living in New York City, p. 123. 

7 Ibid, p. 127. These analyses were made by Dr. F. R. Underhill, professor of physiological chem- 
istry in Yale University, upon the scale of values adopted by the Federal Department of Agriculture. 



FAMILY INCOMES AND PERCENTAGE OF UNDERFED FAMILIES IN EACH INCOME 

GROUP. 



Family income. 


Per cent of 
underfed 
families. 


Family income. 


Per cent of 
underfed 
families. 


$400-$599 


76 

32 
22 


$900-$ 1,099 


9 



600- 799 

800- 899 


1,100 and over 





170 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



"This means," comments Professor Chapin, "that with less than 
$600 to spend for all purposes, an adequate food supply is not provided, 
and that on from $600 to $800 incomes, one family in three is underfed, 
while less than one in ten of the families having $900 and $1,000 to spend 
fell short of the minimum for food." (^) 

The point of inadequate subsistence has also been indicated by various 
investigations into the health of wage-working families and by mortality 
statistics. The relation of poverty to disease is discussed in greater 
detail in an earlier chapter, but it is perhaps significant to note that the 
careful studies of infant mortality by the Federal Children's Bureau 
point to a very definite line of adequate subsistence. 

PER CENT OF FAMILIES UNDERFED, UNDERCLOTHED AND OVERCROWDED, BY 

INCOME. 



Family income. 


Number 

of 
families. 


Under- 
fed. 


Per cent which were 


Under- 
clothed. 


Over- 
crowded. 


Under- 
fed 
and 

under- 
clothed. 


Under- 
fed 
and 
over- 
crowded. 


Under- 
clothed 
and 
over- 
crowded. 


$ 400-$ 499 


8 
17 
72 
79 
73 
63 
31 
18 
30 


100 
65 
33 
30 
22 
8 
10 


88 
88 
63 
52 
32 
25 
3 
6 


63 
71 
57 
58 
53 
40 
30 
21 


88 
59 
18 
14 
10 
3 


63 
47 
19 
19 
15 
6 
3 


SO 
53 
39 
35 
25 
11 


500- 599 


600- 699 


700- 799 


800- 899 


900- 999 


1,000- 1,099 


1,100- 1,199 


1,200 and over 


Total 


391 






•• 






.. 





The size of the families included in the above statistics was not less than four nor more than six per- 
sons, the average size in each income group being approximately five persons. 



In a steel manufacturing town, Johnstown, Pa., for example, it was 
found that unless the family had an annual income of about $800 or 
more, the death rate among infants was considerably above the average. 
C) Using infant mortality as an indicator of healthful conditions of 
living, this can be interpreted only as meaning that a family could not 
provide sanitary housing, healthful environment and adequate food, or 
permit the mother to stay at home and not be a wage-earning member 
of the family, unless the family income was over $800 a year. 

Studies of Minimum Standards of Family Income. — With the fore- 
going evidence as to the point of adequate subsistence, the results of 
several intensive studies of minimum standards of family income tend 
to agree. Giving what seems to be due allowance for differences in 



(8) Ibid, p. 128. Chapin also presented statistics as to underfed, underclothed and overcrowded 
families in the various income groups from which the following tabulation nas been made (p. 241): 

(B) United States Department of Labor, Children's Bureau: Infant Mortality — Results of a Field 
Study in Johnstown, Pa., p. 45. In families where the father earned less than $521 a year, or less than 
$10 a week, the infant mortality rate was 255.7, as contrasted with 130.7 for the community as a whole, 
and it was three times as high as in families where the father earned $1,200 or more a year. In a similar 
Investigation In Montclair, N. J., the Children's Bureau found that the infant mortality rate in famUies 
where the income was le$a than $12 a week wag more than twice as high as in families where the income 
was $23 or more a week. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 171 

methods of investigation, in point of view, and in conditions considered, 
these studies by various authorities of actual conditions in workingmen's 
families may be said to strengthen the estimate that unless a family of 
the normal size (^^) has an income of about $800, (^^) it cannot maintain 
such a standard of Hving as we have had in mind. It is generally agreed, 
of course, that a greater measure of health than this minimum would 
afford would be desirable, but approximately $800 seems to be regarded 
as the least amount necessary after paring down all expenditures for 
food, clothing, rent, insurance, health, furnishings, recreation and inci- 
dentals to a degree that hardly seems possible with the utmost frugality. 

The closeness with which these determinations have been made will 
be clearly evident if some of them are itemized in some detail and com- 
pared with an estimate submitted by a labor union composed of skilled 
workers and another for government employes. During 1915, five 
determinations and estimates of the minimum cost of maintaining a 
family appeared, tw^o of them being made by the New York Factory 
Investigating Commission, one by the New York City Bureau of Stand- 
ards, one by a representative of the legislative committee of the American 
Federation of Labor, one by the Amalgamated Association of Street and 
Electric Railways. The last named was an estimate used by representa- 
tives of street railway employes in the recent arbitration in Chicago. 
They are summarized for purposes of comparison in the table which 
follows. 

These determinations are corroborated, in large measure, by other well- 
recognized investigations. For New York City, Professor Chapin, in 
1907, arrived at the conclusion that "an income under $800 is not enough 
to permit the maintenance of a normal standard" for a family of five 
persons; Mrs. Louise B. More's investigations in 1906 pointed to "at 
least $728 a year"; and the special committee of the New York State 
Conference of Charities and Corrections reported in 1907 that a con- 
servative estimate was that "$825 is sufficient for the average family of 
five individuals"; Prof. J. C. Kennedy's investigations of the families 
of stockyard workers in Chicago caused him to conclude that no family 
of five could "live decently and efficiently in the stockyards district 
on less than $800 a year." 



(10) A family of five persons — father, mother, and three dependent children. 

(11) R. C. Chapin: Standard of Living in New York City; L. B. More: Wage-Earners' Budgets; 
New York State Conference of Charities and Corrections committee on standards of living; M. Byington: 
The Households of a Mill District; Fourth Annual Report of the New York State Factory Investigating 
Commission, Vol. IV; New York City Bureau of Standards: Report on the Cost of Living for an unskilled 
Laborer's Family. 



172 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



ESTIMATES OF ANNUAL COST OF LIVING FOR WAGE-WORKERS' FAMILIES IN NEW 
• YORK CITY. BUFFALO. CHICAGO. AND WASHINGTON. BASED ON FAMILIES OF 

FIVE PERSONS. 



Items of expenditure. 


New York 

City 

Bureau of 

Standards. 

(c) 


New York 

City 
Fac. Inv. 

Com. 
(a) 


Buffalo, 

N. Y. 

Fac. Inv. 

Com. 

(a) 


Chicago 

Street 

Railway 

Employes. 

(b) 


Washing- 
ton, D. C. 
A. F. of L. 
Com. 
(d) 


Food 


$380.00 

168.00 

42.00 

104.00 

30.30 

22.80 

20.00 

18.00 

5.00 

40.00 

10.00 


$325.00 

200.00 

20.00 

140.00 

31.20 

35.60 

22.00 

7.00 

5.63 

50.00 

40.00 


s$281.00 

120.00 

40.00 

140.00 

31.20 

35.60 

22.00 

7.00 

5.63 

50.00 

40.00 


$529.13 

240.00 

86.00 

167.25 

26.00 

20.00 

20.00 

65.50 

3.00 

7.50 

45 50 


$274.00 

240.00 

49.00 

153.00 

■■35 '.66 
■'is^oo 


Rent 


Fuel and light 


Clothing 


Car fare 


Insurance. 


Health 


Furnishings.. 




Recreation and amusements 




Total annual 


$840.18 


$876.43 


$772.43 


$1,209.88 


$766.00 




$16.15 


$16.85 


$14.85 


$23.24 


$14.73 





(a) Fourth Annual Report of the New York Factory Investigating Commission, 1915, Vol. IV, p. 1668. 

(b) American Federationist, October, 1915, p. 837. 

(c) Report on the Cost of Living for an Unskilled Laborer's Family in New York City, submitted by 
the (New York City) Bureau of Standards. 

(d) This estimate wa« presented by Arthur E. Holder, of the legislative committee of the American 
Federation of Labor, in support of the Nolan bill for a $3-a-day minimum wage for government employes, 
at a hearing of the Committee on Labor, held on March 21, 1916. Mr. Holder stated that $766 would 
"simply purchase a bare subsistence," and is "'much below a decent living standard." "You will observe 
that I have tabooed every form of "luxury." he was quoted as commenting. "Receiving $765.95 a year, 
there could be no riding on street cars for this workingman's family, no tobacco, no candy, no books, no 
Sunday school contributions, nothing for the church; no newspapers, no movies, no lodge dues, no insur- 
ance, no postage stamps and no doctor's bills — for, of course, on the "substantial" diet purchased for 
75 cents a day, a family of five would run no chance of ever getting sick. Moreover, the family must 
remain stationary — no births, no deaths, no accidents, no medicines, no doctors. In regard to 75 cents 
a day for food for a family of five, if there is a woman in the District of Columbia who can buy the food 
for that family with 75 cents, I will take off my hat to her as the greatest financier in America." 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 173 

The Pittsburgh Survey's investigations in 1907 and 1908 concluded 
that $1,291 was a sufficient family income, but $200 more was allowed 
for "sundries" than is usually allowed in other estimates. 

It seems hardly necessary to resort to scientifically ascertained facts 
as to actual living conditions to determine that $800, in round numbers, 
is about as little as the ordinary family can live on if it lives healthfully, 
comfortably and efficiently. A glance at actual expenses for unques- 
tionable necessaries should be sufficient. It must be very evident that 
the family of average size living in the average industrial town, with an 
income of, say, $800 — if it must spend $650 or $700 for food, rent, cloth- 
ing, and fuel and light — can have very little surplus for savings or ex- 
traordinary expenditures. Out of what is left "must come the funds 
for amusements and recreation, books, papers and magazines, lodge and 
union dues, benefit and insurance premiums, sickness, upkeep of house- 
hold and kitchen furnishings, and the hundred-and-one incidental ex- 
penditures that are common even to the most frugal households. A 
death in the family is a heavy expense; the birth of an additional 
member of the family is a cause, not only of lessened family income in 
families where the wife is a wage-earner, but also of immediate expense 
and the promise of increasing cost in the future. For we are speaking 
of the 'average' family with an income of $700 to $800 a year, which 
is considered adequate if everything 'goes right. ' But sometimes things 
'go wrong.'" n 

The Workingman^s Family and Higher Living Costs. — No definite 
conception of the adequacy of wages and of family income is possible, 
of course, without taking into consideration the increase in the cost of 
living since 1900. There has been a great deal of the discussion of the 
"race" between wages and living costs, but, because of the lack of com- 
prehensive and exact statistics, the most that can be said is that indica- 
tions point to an extremely close race. It is manifestly unfair, as some 
statisticians have done, to measure wages in terms of retail food prices 
alone without determining whether the retail prices of other articles, of 
services, and of rent, have advanced as rapidly. At the same time, since 
expenditures for food constitute nearly half of the total expenditures 
of wage-working families, it is proper to conclude that a 60 per cent 
increase in the retail prices of the principal foods must entail sacrifices 
either in diet or in other lines of expenditure, or in both, unless wages 
have advanced to an equal degree. It appears to be very plain that in 
only a few occupations and trades has there been as much as a 60 per 
cent wage increase since 1900. 

Whether average wages have or have not actually kept up with the 
total cost of maintaining the wage-worker's family is of scarcely less 
importance than two other considerations. One is that the family with 
an income of, say, $650, which was found adequate to make ends meet 
in 1900, can not ordinarily make ends meet now, and there are many 
such families with equally as great demands and necessities as then. 
Even though the average family may, because of increases in wages 
and of the employment of its women and children, have kept its income 
apace with the advancing cost of living, the pressure of higher living cost 



(12) B. S. Warren and Edgar Sydenstricker: Health Insurance — Its Relation to the Public Health, 
Bulletin 76 of the Vf S. Public Health Service, March, 1916. 



174 BUDGETARY STUDIES. 

Still falls heavily upon those who are below the average. The other con- 
sideration is that the social standard of minimum subsistence has become 
more costly. New desires and new wants have been created, and it is 
impossible to assume that the wage-working family has not been affected 
in much the same way as the family of the business man, the banker, the 
office worker, or even the farmer. Certain changes in the manner of 
living have occurred that probably the wage-working family, as well as 
any other family, could well do without; there are other changes, how- 
ever, which have been brought about in response to those wants whose 
creation has been the mark of advancing civilization. Good or bad, 
changes in the customs and manner of living can not be overlooked 
in considering the question of adequacy of wages and family income. 
They are social products for which we can blame the wage-working 
population least of all. The fact which is of distinct pertinence here is 
that even if the levels of prices and wages had remained without change 
since 1900, the cost of living would have increased, because the social 
standard of living has become more expensive. To live adequately 
to-day costs more than it did even ten or fifteen years ago, not simply 
because prices have gone up, but because our standards of health, 
comfort, and efficiency are more exacting, to say nothing of the cost of 
satisfying those new desires which we might do without. 

Aside from these considerations, however, the facts, so far as they are 
available from statistical sources, of higher living costs in relation to 
wages and income deserve to be mentioned because of their importance 
in throwing light on present conditions. The statistics of full-time 
weekly wages furnished for a number of trades and industries by the 
Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics appear to indicate that up to 1915 
the average increase has been between 25 and 30 per cent since 1900. (^^) 



(13) See the discussion by I. M. Rubinow, Chief Statistician of the Ocean Accident and Guarantee 
Corporation: The Trend of Real Wages, American Economic Review, Dec, 1914, pp. 793-817. 

The wage statistics used by Dr. Rubinow in his computation are those regularly published in the re- 
tail price bulletins of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and cover cotton goods, woolen goods, silk, boots and 
shoes, knit goods, lumber, millwork, furniture, building trades, bakers, marble and stone cutting, foundry 
and machine shops and printing. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



175 



These figures are possibly too high, since the statistics may include 
a disproportionate number of well-unionized skilled trades whose wage 
rates have advanced more rapidly than those of unskilled occupations. 
In contrast may be presented statistics of prices. Unfortunately, 
statistics of retail prices are available only for foods (^'^), but at least 
some idea of the advance in prices of other articles may be gained from 
the wholesale price statistics furnished by various governmental and 
commercial authorities. Selecting the statistics for those items of ex- 
penditure which we have seen to be the principal necessaries, the ad- 
vances in prices from 1900 to 1913 may be roughly stated as follows: 



Item. 


Per cent 
of increase 
1900-1913 


Food, retail (a) 


62 

31-52 

16-20 

5-10 

17 

31 

45 

11 


Food wholesale . ... - 


Clothing (and cloth) wholesale 


Fuel retail (coal, 1907-1913) 




Housing, wholesale prices of lumber and building materials. . . 
Wages of building labor 







The increased cost of maintaining the wage-working family can not, 
of course, be stated definitely on the basis of such statistics as the above, 
but a suggestive illustration is pertinent: 

The extensive budgetary investigation of workingmen's families con- 
ducted by the Federal Bureau of Labor in 1901 (^^) — before the advance 
in prices began to be markedly evident — found that the ''normal" 
family was able to subsist and even have savings upon an income of 
between $600 and $700 a year, according to the standard of living then 
existing. (^^) The average family in that range of annual income was 
found to have an expenditure of $612 for all purposes at prices then pre- 
vailing. This amount was found to be spent approximately in the fol- 
lowing manner: 



Item. 


Amount. 


Per cent 

of total 

expenditure. 


Food 


$266 

113 

35 

79 

119 


43.5 
18.5 
6.0 
13.0 
20.0 


Rent 




Clothing 







( 1 *) See Bulletins of the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Retail Prices of Foods. 

(a) Retail price data exist for only food and coal, and are supplied by the records of the Federal 
Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the other items only wholesale price data are available, and are there- 
fore not adequately indicative of the full extent of their advance in the prices paid by the ultimate 
consumer. The wholesale price data are supplied by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Brad- 
street's, R. G. Dun Si. Company, the New York Times Annahst, and Thomas Gibson. Where two 
figures are given in the summary for one item, the minimum and maximum results, as shown by 
different authorities, are indicated. 

(18) See Eighteenth Annual Report of the U. S. Commissioner of Labor, 1903. 

(17) By "normal" family was meant the family in which the man is the bread-winner and the wife 
non-wage-eaming, and the children under fourteen years of age and dependent. 



176 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



Applying the percentages of increase in the various items of expendi- 
ture, what would the same family have required to maintain the same 
standards in, say 1913, as it did before the great price advance began? 

Wherever retail price date are available, they may, of course, be used. 
In the case of wholesale price date, it seems to be conservative to use 
the highest percentages computed from the various wholesale price 
authorities. In the case of rent, 35 is used as the percentage of increase, 
taking into consideration both the higher cost of building materials and 
the higher labor cost. This seems to be very conservative in the light 
of statistics of actual rent increases for shorter periods than the 1900- 
1913 period. 

Upon this conservative basis, the following results appear (see table 
below). 

Allowing for no increase in the cost of the "sundries" actually bought 
or necessitating expenditures, and for no increase in the number of "sun- 
dry" expenditures to meet the broadened and greater variety of wants in 
1913, as compared with 1900, the cost of maintaining a family according 
to the same standard now as then would have been over $200 greater, 
or an increase of 35 per cent. 



Item of expenditure. 


Am^ount 
expended 
in 1900. 


Increase 
in price. 


Amount 
necessary 
in 1913, 


Food 


$266 

113 

35 

79 

119 


62 

35 

17 

8 


$430 (a) 

152 

41 

85 

119 


Rent 


Fuel and light 


Clothing 


Sundries 


Total 


$612 




$827 





(a) It is significant to note that the United States Public Health Service paid about 35 cents a day for 
a well-balanced ration sufficient to supply an adult male with 3,000 to 3,500 calories a day for its marine 
hospital employes, etc., in 1914. On this basis, the annual cost of food for a family as defined above (3.3 
adult male units), would be approximately $420 a year. The cost of the United States Public Health 
Service ration was based on retail prices prevailing during the year, and the food was purchased under 
annual contract. The contract prices would be somewhat lower than ordinary retail prices, but the quality 
of food was of the best grades. Hence the figure, $430, is believed to be conservative. 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 177 

16.~C0ST OF BREAD AMONG THE WORKERS. 

--Memorandum by Erances Stern, Author of "Food for the-Worker," 
Associated with U. S. Food Administration. 

(From the minutes of the Committee on Prices, August 27-29, 1917.) 

The work with the people of the crowded district of Boston, and my 
association with them previous to the war, has led to serious thinking 
and many conferences with them since the increased cost of food, due to 
war conditions. The cry on every side is that it is almost impossible to 
live, and that every luxury — such as cake perhaps once a week — must 
be cut out. They complain a great deal of their necessity of life — 
flour and bread. 

In the book, "Food for the Worker," seven weeks' menus have been 
very carefully worked out relative to food values and costs, and the 
cost of bread in that seven weeks of the total supply, which amounts to 
$53.11, is about 25 per cent of the total. These menus have been care- 
fully worked over by experts in nutrition and people familiar with the 
habits of the people for whom they were intended. Variety has been 
given, and as much meat and vegetables as the purse would allow; and 
yet to make the necessary requirements of food values, bread to the 
amount as heretofore stated would have to be 25 per cent. (Page 119). 

In another group of flexible menus where different types of meals were 
planned, from the simplest to the elaborate, it was interesting to note that 
from twice to three times as much bread was needed with the simple 
meal as with the elaborate one. Which again leads us to see that people 
living on the one-piece meal must have bread to make up the required 
food value. It is desirable for them from many points of view: cost, 
ease in cooking, habit, nutrition, and a safe food for children. 

On page 22 of "Food for the Worker," the following statement is 
made : 

"It has been estimated that between $800 and $900 a year is the mini- 
mum figure at which a decent and efficient standard of living can be 
maintained for the typical family of five. 

"In a recent study by Schereschewsky, it was found that in the group 
whose income was $500 or less, under-nourishment and sickness were 
twice as great as in the groups earning $700 to $900. An average wage 
of an unskilled laborer is $12 per week, or $624 per year, if he is con- 
tinuously employed. The man who earns this income, however, is on 
the average unemployed eight weeks out of the fifty-two. This period 
of unemployment without pay reduces his annual income to $528. The 
cost of our menu is $364 a year — an extremely conservative estimate. 
Lower estimates are possible, but fail to allow for one of our essential 
considerations — variety. The cost of our menu is 65 per cent of an 
income of $528 per annum, and if we allow $144 per year for rent, a 
fair average, only $.20 remains for all other needs of life for the family 
of five, such as fuel, light, clothing, car fares, insurance, medicine, and 
recreation." 



178 



BUDGETARY STUDIES. 



PROPORTION OF BREAD IN MENUS OF RICH AND POOR. 
DINNERS. 





1. 


2. 


3. 


4. 


5. 


6. 


Soup. 


Beef soup 
with vege- 
tables. 












Meat. 


1 Slice 
Roast 


1 Slice 
Roast 


1 Slice 
Roast 


1 Slice 
Roast 


Chicken 




Gravy. 




Brown. 


Brown. 


- 






Vegetable- 
starchy. 


1 baked 
potato 


1 baked 
potato. 


1 baked 
potato. 




Rice. 


Rice. 


Vegetable- 
green. 


Beets 
butter. 


String 
beans 
butter. 


2 H. T. 

Cauliflower 

creamed. 


Lima beans 
and toma- 
toes. 


Lima beans 
and toma- 
toes. 


Lima beans 
and toma- 
toes. 


Salad. 


Tomato 
and lettuce. 


Tomato 
and lettuce. 






Lettuce. 




Dessert. 


Dessert. 


Dessert. 


Prune jelly 
and sauce. 


Dessert. 


Dessert. 


Dessert. 


Bread. 


1 slice. 


2 slices. 


1 slice. 


1 slice. 


K slice. 


2 slices. 


Butter. 


1370 


Kt. 

1323 


Kt.=Xoz. 


Kt. 

1329 


1301 


1 t. 
1324 


1302 



BREAKFASTS 





A. 


B. 


C. 


D. 


E. 


F. 


G. 


Bread. 


3 slices. 


2 slices. 


2K slices. 


IK slices. 


IK slices. 


2 slices. 


1 slice. 


Butter. 


4t. 


2 t. 


3 t. 


2 t. 


2 t. 


2 t. 


2 t. 


Beverages 
with milk and 
sugar. 


Coffee 
1 cup. 


Coffee 
1 cup. 
Fried 
potatoes. 


Milk 
1 cup. 


Milk 
1 cup. 


Coffee 
1 cup. 


Coffee 
1 cup. 


Coffee. 
1 cup. 


Cereal with 
milk and sugar. 


4t. 


1 cup. 




1 cup. 


1 cup. 




1 H cup. 


Fruit. 










Baked 
Apple. 


Raw. 


Berries. 


Eggs. 












2 




Meat. 














2 chops. 



CHAPTER IV 

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PUBLICATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES 
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. 

Cost of living: 

*First Annual Report. 1886. Industrial depressions: Appendix B. 
Earnings and expenses of wage receivers in Europe, pp. 411-456. 

*Sixth Annual Report. 1890. Cost of production: Iron, steel, coal, 
etc. Cost of living, pp. 605-1376. 

Seventh Annual Report. 1891. Cost of Production: The textiles 
and glass. Part III. Cost of living, pp. 845-2013. 

*Bul. 8, January, 1897. Retail prices of principal foods in Belgium, 
February 29, 1896,** pp. 78, 79. 

*Bul. 18, September, 1898. 

Mechanics and workingmen's returns. Wisconsin, 1895,** pp. 

704, 705. 
Workingmen's wages and budgets in 1853 and 1891, Belgium,** 
pp. 708-713. 

Bui. 34, May, 1901. Labor conditions in Porto Rico, pp. 401-407, 
413-424. 

Bui. 35. July, 1901. Statistics of wage earners in Colorado, 1899,** 
p. 781. 

*Bul. 37, November, 1901. Average yearly earnings and cost of 
living of working people, Maine, 1900,** pp. 1171, 1172. 

Bui. 3S, January, 1902. Labor conditions in Mexico, by Walter E. 
Weyl, pp. 70-73. 

*1902. First report of the Commissioner of Labor on Hawaii, 1901 
(S. Doc. No. 169, 56th Cong., 1st sess.), pp. 99-112, 241-253. 

Bui. 41, July, 1902. Labor conditions in Cuba, by Victor S. Clark, 
pp. 677-684, 740-748. 

Eighteenth Annual Report. 1903. Cost of living and retail prices 
of food. 

*Bul. 46, May, 1903. Report of the Anthracite Coal Strike Com- 
mission, pp. 623-626. 

1903. Second report of the Commissioner of Labor on Hawaii, 1902 
(S. Doc. No. 181, 57th Cong., 2d sess.), pp. 222-228. 

Bui. 47, July, 1903. Second report of the Commissioner of Labor on 
Hawaii, pp. 896-902. 

*Bul. 48, September, 1903. Negroes of Xenia, Ohio: A social study, 
by Richard R. Wright, jr., pp. 1036-1038. 



♦Supply exhausted. **Digest of State or Foreign report. 

179 



180 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

Cost of Living— Continued. 

*Bul. 49, November, 1903. 

Analysis of eighteenth annual report, cost of living and retail 

prices of food, pp. 1137-1141. 
Massachusetts, 1902,** pp. 1350, 1351. 
Bui. 53, July, 1904. Wages and cost of living, pp. 704-712. 
*Bul. 54, September, 1904. Cost of living and retail prices in the 
United States, by G. W. W. Hanger, pp. 1129-1164. 

*Bul. 56, January, 1905. Labor conditions in Australia, by Victor S. 
Clark, pp. 229-241. 

Bui. 5S, May, 1905. Labor conditions in the Philippines, by Victor 
S. Clark, pp. 838-842. 

Bui. 58, May, 1905. Labor conditions in Java, by Victor S. Clark, 
pp. 943-946. 

*Bul. 59, July, 1905. 

Retail prices of food, 1890 to 1904, pp. 148-301. 
Railroad employes, Austria, 1898,** p. 330. 

*Bul. 61, November, 1905. Labor conditions in Porto Rico, by Wal- 
ter E. Weyl, pp. 776-778. 

*Bul. 64, May, 1906. Conditions of living among the poor (District 
of Columbia), by S. E. Forman, pp. 598-617, 634-698. 

*Bul. 65, July, 1906- Retail prices of food, 1890 to 1905, pp. 170-316. 

1906. Third report of the Commissioner of Labor on Hawaii, 1905 

(H. Doc. No. 580, 59th Cong., 1st sess.), pp. 110-119, 309-317. 

*Bul. 66, September, 1906. Third report of the Commissioner of 
Labor on Hawaii, pp. 467-476, 663-671. 

*Bul. 71, July, 1907. Retail prices of food, 1890 to 1906, pp. 175-328. 

*Bul. 73, November, 1907. 

New Jersey, 1906,** p. 992. 
Washington, 1906,** p. 996. 

*Bul. 77, July, 1908. 

Wages and hours of labor in manufacturing industries, 1890 to 

1897, pp. 1-180. 
Report of British Board of Trade on cost of living of the working 

classes of principal industrial towns of Great Britain, 1905,** 

pp. 336-354. 

*Bul. 78. September, 1908. Report of British Board of Trade on 
cost of living of the working classes of the principal industrial 
towns of the German Empire, 1905,** pp. 523-548. 

Bui. 83, July, 1909. Report of British Board of Trade on cost of 
living of the working classes in the principal industrial towns of 
France, 1905,** pp. 66-87. 
*Bul. 87, March, 1910. Report of British Board of Trade on cost of 
living of the working classes in the principal industrial^ towns of 
Belgium, 1908,** pp. 608-625. ...-.- . v ^ 



*Supply for distribution exhausted. **Digest of State or Foreign report. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 181 

Cost of Living — Continued. 

Bui. 88, May, 1910. Report of Imperial Statistical Office of Ger- 
many on cost of living of families of moderate Income in Germany 
^ in 1907-1908,** pp. 697-794. 

*1910. Increase In cost of food and other products (12 tables) (S. 
Doc. No. 349, 61st Cong., 2d sess.). 

*Bul. 93, March, 1911. 

Report of British Board of Trade on cost of living in principal 

industrial cities in the United States, 1909,** pp. 500-556. 
Reports of British Board of Trade on cost of living in England 

and Wales, Germany, France, Belgium, and the United 

States, 1908-1911,** pp. 557-570. 

*1911. Fourth report of the Commissioner of Labor on Hawaii, 
1910 (S. Doc. No. 866, 61st Cong., 3d sess.), pp. 103, 104, 128-141. 

■*Bul. 94, May, 1911. Fourth report of the Commissioner of Labor on 
Hawaii, pp. 764, 765, 786-799. 

*1912. Strike of textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, 1912 (S 
Doc. No. 870, 62d Cong., 2d sess.), pp. 165-186, 486-191. 

*Bul. 105, August 23, 1912. 

*RetaIl prices, 1890 to 1911. Part I. 

*RetaIl prices, 1890 to 1911. Part II. General tables. 

Bui. 106, August 28, 1912. 

*RetaIl prices, 1890 to 1912. Part I. 
Retail prices, 1890 to 1912. Part II. General tables. 

Bui. 108, October 1, 1912. Retail prices, 1890 to August, 1912. 

Bui. 110, December 4, 1912. Retail prices, 1890 to October, 1912. 

*1910-1912. Report on condition of woman and child wage earners 

in the United States (S. Doc. No. 645, 61st Cong., 2d sess.). 
*Vol. XVI. Family budgets of typical cotton mill workers. 

Bui. 113, March 18, 1913. Retail prices, 1890 to December, 1912. 

Bui. 115, April 8, 1913. Retail prices, 1890 to February, 1913. 

Bui. 121, May 14, 1913. Sugar prices, from refiner to consumer, by 
N. C. Adams. 

Bui. 125, June 28, 1913. Retail prices, 1890 to April, 1913. 
*Bul. 130, August 15, 1913. Wheat and flour prices, from farmer to 
consumer, by J. Chester Bowen. 

Bui. 132, August 15, 1913. Retail prices, 1890 to June, 1913. 

Bui. 136, September 15, 1913. Retail prices, 1890 to August, 1913. 

Bui. 138, December 1, 1913. Retail prices, 1890 to October, 1913. 

Bui. 140, February 10, 1914. Retail prices, 1890 to December, 1913. 

Bui. 156, March, 1915. Retail prices, 1907 to December, 1914. 

Bui. 164, November 30, 1914. Butter prices, from producer to con- 
sumer, by Newton H. Clark. 

Bui. 170, May, 1915. Foreign food prices as affected by the war. 

♦Supply for distribution exhausted. **Digest of State or Foreign report. 



182 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

Wholesale prices : 

*Bul. 27, March, 1900. Wholesale prices, 1890 to 1899, by Roland 

P. Falkner, pp. 237-313. 
Bui. 39, March, 1902. Course of wholesale prices, 1890 to 1901, 

pp. 195-485. 
Bui. 45, March, 1903. Course of wholesale prices, 1890 to 1902, 

pp. 203-356. 

*Bul. 51, March, 1904. Course of wholesale prices, 1890 to 1903, 

pp. 219-379. 
*Bul. 54, September, 1904. Wholesale prices in the United States, 

1890 to 1903, by G. W. W. Hanger, pp. 1165-1186. 
*Bul. 57, March, 1905. Course of wholesale prices. 1890 to 1904, 

pp. 389-549. 
*Bul. 63, March, 1906. Course of wholesale prices, 1890 to 1905, 

pp. 338-502. 
Bui. 69, March, 1907. Wholesale prices, 1890 to 1906, pp. 239-420. 
*Bul 75, March, 1908. Wholesale prices, 1890 to 1907, pp. 283-471. 
*Bul. 81, March, 1909. Wholesale prices, 1890 to 1908, pp. 195-382. 
*Bul. 87, March, 1910. Wholesale prices, 1890 to March, 1910, pp. 

377-582. 
*Bul. 93, March, 1911. Wholesale prices, 1890 to 1910, pp. 309-499. 
Bui. 99, March, 1912. 

Wholesale prices, 1890 to 1911, pp. 501-692. 
Wholesale prices in Canada, 1890 to 1911,** pp. 693-695. 
*1913. Increase in prices of anthracite coal following the wage 
agreement of May 20, 1912 (H. Doc. No. 1442, 62d Cong., 3d sess.). 
Bui. 114, April 4, 1913. Wholesale prices (United States and Can- 
ada), 1890 to 1912. 
Bui. 121, May 14, 1913. Sugar prices, from refiner to consumer, by 
N. C. Adams. 
*Bul. 130, August 15, 1913. Wheat and flour prices, from farmer to 

consumer, by J. Chester Bowen. 
Bui. 149, May 11, 1914. Wholesale prices, 1890 to 1913. 
Bui. 164, November 30, 1914. Butter prices, from producer to con- 
sumer, by Newton H. Clark. 
Bui. 170, May, 1915. Foreign food prices as affected by the war. 

Retail prices : 

*Bul. 3, March, 1896. Rhode Island, 1894,** p. 279. 

*Bul. 8, January, 1897. Retail prices of principal foods in Belgium, 
1896,** pp. 78, 79. 

*Bul. 18, September, 1898. Comparative wages and prices in Massa- 
chusetts, 1872 to 1897,** pp. 694-697. 

*1902. First report of the Commissioner of Labor on Hawaii, 1901 

(S. Doc. No. 169, 57th Cong., 1st sess.), pp. 97-99, 232-237. 
Eighteenth Annual Report. 1903. Cost of living and retail prices 

of food. Part II, pp. 635-853. 
1903. Second report of the Commissioner of Labor on Hawaii, 
1902 (S. Doc. No. 181, 57th Cong., 2d sess.), pp. 222-228. 



♦Supply for distribution exhausted. ♦♦Digest of State or Foreign report. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 183 



Retail Prices — Continued. 



Bui. 47, July, 1903. Second report of the Commissioner of Labor 

on Hawaii, 1902, pp. 896-902. 
*Bul. 54, September, 1904. Cost of living and retail prices in the 

United States, by G. W. W. Hanger, pp. 1129-1164. 

*Bul. 59, July, 1905. Retail prices of food, 1890 to 1904, pp. 148-301. 

1906. Third report of the Commissioner of Labor on Hawaii, 1905 

(H. Doc. No. 580, 59th Cong., 1st sess.), pp. 309-317. 

*Bul. 65, July, 1906. Retail prices of food, 1890 to 1905, pp. 171-316. 

*Bul. 66, September, 1906. Third report of the Commissioner of 

Labor on Hawaii, pp. 663-671. 
*Bul. 71, July, 1907. Retail prices of food, 1890 to 1906, pp. 175-328. 
*Bul. 77, July, 1908. Retail prices of food, 1890 to 1907, pp. 181-332. 
Bui. 83, July, 1909. Cost of living of the working classes in the 

principal industrial towns of France, 1905,** pp. 71-80. 
Bui. 84, September, 1909. Sweden, 1904 to 1907,** pp. 410, 411. 
*1910. Increase in cost of food and other products (12 tables). (S. 

Doc. No. 349, 61st Cong., 2d sess.) 
*Bul. 87, March, 1910. Cost of living of the working classes in the 

principal industrial towns of Belgium, 1908,** pp. 612-619. 
*1911. Fourth report of the Commissioner of Labor on Hawaii, 1910 

(S. Doc. No. 866, 61st Cong., 3d sess.), pp. 103, 104, 135-141. 
*Bul. 93, March, 1911. Reports of British Board of Trade on cost 
of living in England and Wales, Germany, France, Belgium, and 
the United States, 1908 to 1911,** pp. 566-569. 
*Bul. 94, May, 1911. Fourth report of the Commissioner of Labor on 

Hawaii, pp. 793-799. 
*1912. Strike of textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1912 

(S. Doc. No. 870, 62d Cong., 2d sess.), pp. 165-182. 
*Bul. 105, August 23, 1912. 

♦Retail prices, 1890 to 1911. Part L 
♦Retail prices, 1890 to 1911. Part H: General tables. 
Bui. 106, August 28, 1912. 

♦Retail prices, 1890 to June, 1912. Part L 
Retail prices, 1890 to June, 1912. Part H: General tables. 
Bui. 108, October 1, 1912. Retail prices, 1890 to August, 1912. 
Bui. 110, December 4, 1912. Retail prices, 1890 to October, 1912. 
♦1913. Increase in prices of anthracite coal following the wage 
agreement of May 20, 1912 (H. Doc. No. 1442, 62d Cong., 3d 
sess.), pp. 67-82. 

Bui. 113, March 18, 1913. Retail prices, 1890 to December, 1912. 
Bui. 115, April 8, 1913. Retail prices, 1890 to February, 1913. 
Bui. 121, May 14, 1913. Sugar prices, from refiner to consumer, by 

N. C. Adams. 
Bui. 125, June 28, 1913. Retail prices, 1890 to April, 1913. 
*Bul. 130, August 15, 1913. Wheat and flour prices, from farmer to 

consumer, by J. Chester Bowen. 



♦Supply for distribution exhausted. **Digest of State or Foreign report. 



184 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

Bul. 132, August 15, 1913. Retail prices, 1890 to June, 1913. 
Bui. 136, September 15, 1913. Retail prices, 1890 to August, 1913. 
Bul. 138, December 1, 1913. Retail prices, 1890 to October, 1913. 
Bul. 140, February 10, 1914. Retail prices, 1890 to December, 1913' 
Bul. 156, March, 1915. Retail prices, 1907 to December, 1914. 
Bul. 164, November 30, 1914. Butter prices, from producer to con- 
sumer, by Newton H. Clark. 
Bul. 170, May, 1915. Foreign food prices as affected by the war. 
Bul. 197, Retail prices, 1907 to December, 1917 (In Preparation). 
Bul. 228, October, 1917. Retail prices, 1907 to 1916 (In Press). 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF REFERENCES TO COST OF LIVING, FOOD 

CONTROL, PRICES, ETC., APPEARING IN THE MONTHLY 

REVIEW OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 

SPECIAL ARTICLES. 

General. 

United States. 

Minimum wage rate based on cost of living for unskilled laborers of 
New York City. 

October, 1915, pp. 18-21. - 
July, 1917, pp. 138-140. 

Cost of living of working women in Ohio. 
February, 1916, pp. 51-56. 

Report of New York State Factory Investigating Commission. Cost 
of Living, Vol. IV, p. 1461. 
February, 1916, pp. 89-94. 
December, 1915, p. 76. (Brief reference only.) 

Cost of living in the State of Washington. 
August, 1916, pp. 34, 32. 

Cost of living in Massachusetts. 
June, 1917, pp. 959, 960. 

Supply of food in the District of Columbia. 
June, 1917, pp. 957-959. 

Cost of living in Dallas, Texas. 
July, 1917, pp. 136, 137. 

Establishment and operation of municipal public markets . 
July, 1917, pp. 131-135. 

Conditions of trade in food products. 
August, 1917, pp. 56-59. 

Waste in food distribution in New York . 
September, 1917, pp. 95-98. 

Organization under the act to control food and fuel. 
September, 1917, pp. 67-71. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 185 

United States— Continued. 

Progress of food and fuel control in the United States, etc. 
November, 1917, pp. 80-91. 
December, 1917, pp. 95-99. 

Cost of living in the District of Columbia. 
October, 1917, pp. 1-17. 
November, 1917, pp. 1-12. 
December, 1917, pp. 1-18. 

Foreign Countries: 

Food control in Germany and Great Britain. 
December, 1917, pp. 99-101. 

Prices and cost of living in Canada. 
April, 1916, pp. 51-54. 

Profits in food in Canada. 
August, 1917, p. 60. 

Government control of food supplies in European countries. 
March, 1917, pp. 390-407. 

Government control of food supplies in France. 
April, 1917, pp. 525-533. 
June, 1917, pp. 915-921. 

High cost of living bonus in Germany. 
June, 1917, pp. 945-949. 

Government control of food supplies in Germany. 
June, 1917, pp. 921-928. 
July, 1917, pp. 66-69. 
May, 1917, pp. 703-727. 

High cost of living conference in Gottenborg, Sweden, June, 1917. 
October, 1917, p. 65. 

Government control of food supplies in Great Britain. 
June, 1917, pp. 928-945. 
July, 1917, pp. 69-78. 

Food policy framed by national committee of British workers. 
July, 1917, pp. 78-80. 

Food control in Great Britain. 
November, 1917, pp. 91-104. 

Government control of food supplies in Italy. 
May, 1917, pp. 727-744. 

Cost of living in workmen's families in Portugal. 
July, 1917, pp. 137, 138. 

Minimum cost of living of workmen's families in Basle, Switzerland. 
September, 1917, pp. 144, 145. 

Cost of living and the minimum wage in New South Wales. 
February, 1917, pp. 296-299. 



186 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

SPECIAL ARTICLES— PRICES. 

United States: 

Analysis and cost of ready-to-serve foods. 
November, 1916, pp. 46-48. 

Comparison of changes in prices of wheat and flour and in weight and 
prices of bread, May to September, 1916. 
November, 1916, pp. 41-46. 

Retail prices of anthracite coal. Interim report of the Federal Trade 
. Commission, May 4, 1917. 
June, 1917, pp. 949-952. 

Retail prices of bread. 

October, 1916, pp. 29-31. 

Retail prices of bread in the District of Columbia. 
June, 1917, pp. 954-957. 

Union wage scales and retail prices of food. 
April, 1917, pp. 584, 585. 

Foreign Countries : 

Foreign food prices as affected by the war. 
July, 1915, pp. 42-44. 

Increase in retail prices of coal in Great Britain. 
July, 1915, pp. 45-56. 

Increase of prices of commodities in Great Britain. 
January, 1917, pp. 51-56. 

Wholesale prices in Great Britain. 
April, 1917, pp. 586-588. 

Prices and wages in India. 

November, 1917, pp. 75-79. 

Retail prices in the Scandinavian capitals. 
August, 1917, pp. 60-62. 



WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES IN THE UNITED STATES 
AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 

WHOLESALE. 

United States: 

Monthly Review, February, 1916, pp. 33, 34. 
September, 1916, pp. 43-45. 
April, 1917, pp. 585, 586. 
July, 1917, pp. 128-131. 
August, 1917, pp. 54, 55. 
September, 1917, pp. 91, 92. 
October, 1917, pp. 57-59. 
December, 1917, p. 94. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



187 



RETAIL. 



United States: 



Monthly Review, September, 1915, p. 46. 

October, 1915, pp. 43, 44. 
February, 1916, p. 32. 
March, 1916, pp. 31, S3. 
April, 1916, pp. 49-51. 
May, 1916, pp. 39-41. 
June, 1916, pp. 42-45. 
July, 1916, pp. 78-80. 
August, 1916, pp. 30, 31. 
September, 1916, pp. 40-42. 
October, 1916, pp. 28, 29. 
November, 1916, pp. 38-41. 
December, 1916, pp. 20-22. 
January, 1917, pp. 47-51. 
February, 1917, pp. 240, 243. 
March, 1917, pp. 385-390. 
April, 1917, pp. 583, 584. 
May, 1917, pp. 701-703. 
June, 1917, pp. 952-954. 
August, 1917, p. 53. 
September, 1917, pp. 92-94. 
October, 1917, pp. 60-64. 
November, 1917, pp. 67-73. 
December, 1917, pp. 83-90. 



Foreign Countries: 

Monthly Review, September, 1915, pp. 46-57. 
December, 1915, pp. 44-53. 
March, 1916, pp. 80-85. 
July, 1916, pp. 80-92. 
November, 1916, pp. 49-60. 
February, 1917, pp. 244-251. 
June, 1917, pp. 961-973. 



WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. 



United States; 



Monthly Review, November, 1917, pp. 73-75. 
December, 1917, pp. 90-93. 



Foreign Countries : 

Monthly, Review, October, 1915, pp. 44-49. 



188 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL REPORTS 
CONTAINING REFERENCES TO COST OF LIVING, FOOD, 

PRICES, ETC. 

OFFICIAL. 

United States : 

Department of Commerce. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com- 
merce. Wholesale prices of leading articles in the United States 
markets, January, 1913, to December, 1915. Washington, 1916. 
May, 1916, p. 89. 

Congress. Senate: Hearing before Committee on Agriculture and 
Forestry, relative to the proposal for increasing the production, 
improving the distribution and promoting the conservation of food 
supplies in the United States. Washington, 1917. Part 1, 73 pp. 
Part 2, 198 pp. 

June, 1917, p. 1030. 

Department of Agriculture. Office of Markets and Rural Organiza- 
tion. Survey of typical co-operative stores in the United States. 
Washington, Nov. 3, 1916. 32 pp. 
January, 1917, p. 163. 

California. Industrial Welfare Commission. First biennial report, 
1913 to 1914. 
August, 1915, p. 31. 

New Jersey. Department of Labor. Thirty-ninth annual report 
of the Bureau of Industrial Statistics for the year ending October 31, 
1916. Trenton, 1917,275 pp. 
December, 1917, p. 249. 

Massachusetts. (Boston). City planning board. A summary of the 
market situation in Boston. Preliminary report of the market 
advisory committee, June, 1915. Boston, 1916. 175 pp. 
March, 1917, p. 489. 

New York City. Board of Estimate and Apportionment. Report on 
market system for New York City, etc. 121 pp. 
November, 1916, p. 141. 

Philippine Islands. Bureau of Labor. Fourth annual report for 
fiscal year ended June 30, 1913. Manila, 1913. 73 pp. 
October, 1915, pp. 89, 90. 

Porto Rico, Bureau of Labor. Fifth annual report. San Juan, 1917. 
34 pp. 
November, 1917, p. 227. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. .189 



Foreign Countries: 



Australia. Bureau of Census and Statistics. Labor and Industrial 
Branch. Melbourne. 

Report No. 4: Review, August, 1915, p. 50. 
Report No. 7: Review, December, 1917, p. 251. 

Australia. Department of Home Affairs. Digest No. 25, 30th of 
September, 1916. Melbourne. 275 pp. 
January, 1917, p. 164. 

Canada. Board of Inquiry into the Cost of Living. Report. Ot- 
tawa, 1915. 2 vols. 
April, 1916, p. 97. 

Canada. Canadian Food Bulletin No. 1. Oct. 6, 1917. Ottawa. 
8 pp. 

November, 1917, p. 230. 

Canada. Census and Statistics Office. The Canada Year Book, 

1914. Ottawa, 1915. 698 pp. 
January, 1916, p. 69. 

Canada. Census and Statistics Office. Year Book, 1915. Ottawa 
1916. 707 pp. 

February, 1917. p. 306. 

Canada. Department of Labor. Report for the fiscal year ending 
March 31, 1916. Ottawa, 1916. 121 pp. 
January, 1917. p. 165. 

Canada. Department of Labor. Wholesale prices, Canada, 1914. 
Ottawa, 1915. 259 pp. 

September, 1915. pp. 66, 67. 

Canada. Order of his Excellency the Administrator in Council of 
the 10th of November, 1916, respecting the high cost of living, as 
amended by order in council of 29th of November, 1916. (Ottawa). 
3 pp. 

June, 1917, p. 1032. 

Canada. Sixth annual report on wholesale prices, 1915. Ottawa, 
1916. 312 pp. 

November, 1916, pp. 144, 145. 

Denmark. Statens Statistiske Department. Statistisk aarbog, 1915. 
Copenhagen, 1915. 230 pp. 
April, 1916, p. 97. 

Egypt. Statistical Department. Annuaire Statistique de TEgypte, 

1915. Cairo, 1916. 388 pp. 
July, 1916, p. 162. 

Finland. Statistiska Centralbyran. Statistisk Arsbok for Finland. 
Ny Serie. Tolfte Argangen, 1914. Helsingfors, 1915. 649 pp. 
September, 1915, p. 69. 

France. Bureau de la Statistique Generale. Annuaire Statistique 
Trente-Troisieme Volume. 1913. Paris, 1914. 33S, 239 pp, 
September, 1915, p. 69. 



190 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

Foreign Countries — Continued. 

Germany. (Prussia.) Statistisches Landesamt. Statistisches Jahr- 
buch fur den Preussischen Staat, 1913. Vol. II. Berlin, 1914. 
693 pp. 
April, 1916, p. 100. 

Germany. Reich versicherungsamt. Viertoljahrshefte zur Statistik 
des Deutschen Reichs. 24 Jahrgang, 1915. Zweites Heft. Mit 11 
Tafeln. Berlin, 1915. 229 pp. 
December, 1915, pp. 85, 86. 

Germany. (Saxony.) Statistisches Landesamt. Statistisches Jahr- 
buch fur das Konigreich Sachsen. Vol. 42, 1914-1915. Dresden, 
1915. 362 pp. 
April, 1916, p. 101. 

Great Britain. Board of Education. Economy in food, etc. Lon- 
don, 1915. 31 pp. 
January, 1916, p. 71. 

Great Britain. India Office. Statistical abstract relating to British 
India. 1904-5 to 1913-14. 49th number. London, 1916. 285 pp. 
June, 1916, p. 126. 

India. Statistical Department. Prices and wages in India, 31st 
issue. Calcutta, 1915. vi., 226 pp. 
November, 1915, pp. 96, 97. 

Italy. Direzione Generale della Statistica e del Lavoro. Annuario 
Statistico Italiano, anno 1915. Series II, Vol. 5. Rome, 1916. 
435 pp. 

August, 1917, p. 199. 

Italy. Ispettorato Generale del Commercio. Indici economici, 
1903 to 1914. Rome, 1915, 2 Vols. 
April, 1916, p. 103. 

Japan. Department of Finance. The 15th Financial and Economic 
Annualof Japan, 1915. Tokyo. 
September, 1916, p. 106. 

New Zealand. Board of Trade. Report on coal prices at Auckland, 
Wellington, 1916, 3 p. 
December, 1916, p. 139. 

New Zealand. Department of Labor. 24th annual report, 1915. 
Wellington, 1915, 
January, 1916, p. 76. 

New Zealand. (Registrar General's Office.) Official yearbook, 1916. 
Wellington, 1917. 710 pp. 
August, 1917, p. 199. 

Norway. Arbeidskontor. Statistiske kontor. Husholdningeregns- 
kaper fort av endel mindre bemidlede familier i Kristiania, etc. 
Utgit ved Kristiania kommunes statistiske kontor. Christiania, 
1915. 179 pp. 
May, 1916, p. 97. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 191 

Foreign Countries — Continued. 

New Zealand. Registrar General's Office. Report on the cost of 
living in New 7-aland, 1891 to 1914. Wellington, 1915. 168 pp. 
February, 1910, pp. 110, 111. 

Norway. Statistiske kontor. Fortsaetelse av specialunderskelse nr. 
Ill angaaende prisbevaegelsen paa livsforndenheter i Kristiania 
samt statistiske opgaver angaaende de kommunale funktionaerers 
forsigelsesbyrde. Christiania, 1916. 24 pp. 
August, 1916, p. 102. 

Norway. Statistiske Centralbyraa. Husholdningeregnskaper for 
handelsfunktionaerer m. v. Utgit av det Statistiske Centralbyraa. 
Christiania, 1915. 

January, 1916, pp. 78, 79. 

South Africa. Director of Census. Statistical year book of the Union 
of South Africa containing statistics for the year 1913-14. No. 2. 
Pretoria, 1915. 333 pp. 

November, 1915, pp. 98, 99. 

South Africa. Director of Census. Statistical year book of the Union 
of South Africa. No. 3, 1914-15. Pretoria, 1916. 359 pp. 
August, 1916, p. 103. 

Sweden. Dyrtidskongre^sen (Stockholm), 1916. Kort redogorelse for 
anledningarna till dyrtidskongressens hallande, dess organisation, 
program och deltagare samt de vid dyrtidskongressen och vid 
konferenensen med livsmedelsnamndernas ombud forda proto- 
kollen. (Stockholm, 1917) 165 pp. 
October, 1917, p. 191. 

Sweden. Socialstyrelsen Levnadskostnaderna i Sverige, 1913-14. 
Del II. Lokalmonografier. 1. Vasteras. 
May, 1917, pp. 801, 802. 

The Netherlands. Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek. Jaarcijfers 
voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden. 1913. The Hague, 1914. 
360 pp. 

September, 1915, p. 74. 

The Netherlands. Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek. Jaarcijfers 
voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden Rijk in Europa, 1914. The 
Hague, 1915. 375 pp. 

September, 1916, pp. 106, 107. 



UNOFFICIAL. 



Birge, Wm. S. True food values and their low costs, or economy in 
living. New York, Sully & Kleinteich, 1916. 218 pp. 

December, 1916, p. 142. 



192 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

Boucke, O. Fred. Rising costs of living. GeorgeL Banta Publishing 
Co. Menasha, Wis., 1916. 87 pp. " 

May, 1917, p. 803. , : 

Chance, Lady. Housekeeping on 25s. ($6.08) a week or under. 
Published by the National Food Economy League, London. 16 pp. 
September, 1916, p. 113. 
Congdon, Leon A. Fight for food. Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1916, 
207 pp. 

December, 1916, p. 143. 
Consumers' League of the District of Columbia. 4th report, March, 
1915, to October, 1916. 40 pp. 
January, 1917, p. 172. 
Gibbs, Winifred Stuart. The minimum cost of living. Macmillan, 
New York, 1917. 93 pp. 
June, 1917, 1037. 
New Zealand Employers' Federation. Industrial bulletin. Welling- 
ton, April 5, 1917, Vol. 2, No. 3. 
August, 1917, p. 206, 
Rose, Mary S. Feeding the family. New York, Macmillan, 1916. 
449 pp. 

December, 1916, p. 146. ^ 

Stern, Frances, and Spitz, Gertrude T. Food for the worker, etc. 
Boston, Whitcomb & Barrows, 1917. 131 pp. 
October, 1917, p. 195. 



PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS LISTED, CONTAINING REFER- 
ENCES TO THE COST OF LIVING, FOOD PRICES, ETC. 

Argentina. Departmento Nacional del Trabajo. Boletin. Buenos 
Aires. 

Apr. 30, 1915 Review, Oct., 1915, p. 106. 

July, 1915 Dec, 1915, p. 96. 

Australia. Bureau of Census and Statistics. Labor and Industrial 
Branch. Labor Bulletin. Melbourne. 

Apr.-June, 1914; July-Sept., 1914 Review, Aug., 1915, p. 68. 

Jan.-Mar., 1915 Dec, 1915, p. 96. 

July-Sept., 1915 Apr., 1916, p. 109. 

Oct.-Dec, 1915 July, 1916, p. 165. 

Canada. Department of Labor. Labor Gazette. Ottawa. 

Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., 

May, 1915 Review, Aug., 1915, pp. 68, 70. 

July, 1915 Sept., 1915, p. 80. 

Aug., 1915 Oct., 1915, p. 106. 

Sept., 1915 Nov., 1915, pp. 100, 101. 

Oct., 1915 Dec, 1915, p. 96. 

Nov., 1915 Jan., 1916, p. 85. 

Dec, 1915 Feb., 1916, p. 115. 

Jan., 1916 Mar., 1916, p. 104. 

Feb., 1916 Apr., 1916, p. 109. 

May, 1916 July, 1916, p. 165. 

July, 1916 Sept., 1916, p. 109. 

Oct., 1916 Dec, 1916, p. 138. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 193 

Periodicals — Continued . 

Chile. Boletin de la Officina del Trabajo. Santiago de Chile. Biennial. 

Second half, 1914 Review, Apr., 1916, p. 109. 

Denmark. Statistiske Efterretninger, udgivet af det statistiske De- 
partement. Copenhagen. 

Jan. 5 to June 14, 1915 Review, Aug., 1915, p. 70. 

June 30, 1915 Sept., 1915, p. 80. 

July 24, 1915 Oct., 1915, p. 107. 

Aug. 28, 1915 Nov., 1915, p. 101. 

Aug. 21, and Oct. 2., 1915 Dec, 1915, p. 96. 

Oct. 30, 1915 Jan., 1916, p. 85. 

Dec. 1, 1915 Feb., 1916, p. 116. 

Dec. 28, 1915 March, 1916, p. 104. 

Feb. 25, 1916 Apr., 1916, p. 109. 

Apr. 3 and 19, 1916 June, 1916, p. 130. 

May 26, 1916 Aug., 1916, p. 105. 

July 6, 1916 Sept., 1916, p. 109. 

Finland. Arbetsstatistisk Tidskrift utgifven af Industristyrelsen. Hel- 
singfors. 

No. 4, 1915 Review, Nov., 1915, p. 101. 

No. 5, 1915 Dec, 1915, p. 96. 

No. 6, 1915 March, 1916, p. 104. 

France. Bulletin du Ministere du travail et de la Prevoyance Sociale. 
Paris. 

Oct., Nov., Dec, 1914 Review, Aug., 1915, pp. 70, 71. 

Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., 1915 Sept., 1915, p. 81. 

May, June, 1915 Dec, 1915, p. 97. 

July, Aug., 1915 Jan., 1916, p. 85. 

Sept., Oct., 1915 March, 1916, p. 104. 

Nov., Dec, 1915 May, 1916, p. 101. 

Jan., Feb., 1916 July, 1916, p. 165. 

Germany. Reichsarbeitsblatt, Herausgegeben vom Kaiserlichen Statis- 
tischen Amte, Abteilung fur Arbeitanstatistik. Berlin. 

May, 1915 Review, Aug., 1915, p. 72. 

Aug., Sept., 1915 Nov., 1915, p. 101. 

Feb., 1916 May, 1916, p. 101. 

Great Britain. The Board of Trade Labor Gazette. London. 
Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., 

May, 1915 Review, Aug., 1915, pp. 72, 73. 

June, July, 1915 Sept., 1915, pp. 81, 82. 

Aug., Sept., 1915 Nov., 1915, pp. 101, 102. 

Oct., 1915 Dec, 1915, p. 97. 

Nov., 1915 Jan., 1916, p. 86. 

Dec, 1915 Feb., 1916, p. 116. 

Jan., 1916 March, 1916, p. 105. 

Feb., 1916 April, 1916, p. 109. 

March, 1916 May, 1916, p. 101. 

April, 1916 June, 1916, p. 130. 

May, 1916 July, 1916, p. 166. 

June, 1916 Aug., 1916, p. 105. 

Aug., 1916 Oct., 1916, p. 102. 



194 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



Periodicals — Continued . 

Italy. Bolletino dell' Ufficio del Lavoro, Ministero di Agrlcoltura, 
Industria e Commercio. Rome. 

Jan. 1, Apr. 1, May 1, 1915 Review, Aug., 1915, p. 74. 

June 1, July 1, 1915 Sept., 1915, p. 82. 

Apr., 1915, and Aug. 1, Sept. 16, 

1915 Nov., 1915, p. 102. 

Oct. 1, 1915 Dec, 1915, p. 97. 

Nov. 1, 1915 Jan., 1916, p. 86. 

Aug., 1915, Dec. 1, 1915 Feb., 1916, pp. 116, 117. 

Jan. 1, 1916 March, 1916, p. 105. 

Feb. 1, 1916 April, 1916, p. 110. 

March 1, 1916 May, 1916, pp. 101, 102. 

Nov., Dec, 1915 June, 1916, p. 131. 

Apr. 1 and Apr. 16, 1916 June, 1916, p. 131. 

Jan., Feb., 1916, May 1, 1916.. . . July, 1916, p. 166. 

June 1, 1916 Aug., 1916, pp. 106, 107. 

June 16, July 15, 1916 Sept., 1916, p. 110. 

Sept. 16, 1916 Dec, 1916, p. 138. 

Oct. 1 and 16, 1916 Jan., 1917, p. 169. 

Nov. 1 and 16, and Dec. 1, 1916. Feb., 1917, p. 307. 



New South Wales. Industrial Gazette issued by the Department of 
Labor and Industry. Sydney. 

July, 1915 Review, Nov., 1915, p. 103. 

Aug., 1915 Dec, 1915, p. 98. 

May, 1916 Sept., 1916, p. 111. 

June, 1916 Oct., 1916, p. 107. 

July, 1916 Nov., 1916, p. 149. 

New South Wales. Monthly Statistical Bulletin. Sydney, 1917. 
March, 1917 * Review, July, 1917, pp. 186, 187. 



New Zealand. Journal of the Department of Labor. Wellington. 
Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., 1915. . . .Review, Aug., 1915, pp. 75, 76. 

May, June, 1915 Sept., 1915, p. 83. 

July, 1915 Oct., 1915, p. 107. 

Aug., 1915 Nov., 1915, p. 103. 

Sept., 1915 Dec, 1915, p. 99. 

Oct., 1915 Jan., 1916, p. 87. 

Nov., 1915 Feb., 1916, p. 117. 

Jan., 1916 April, 1916, p. 110. 

Feb., Mar., 1916 June, 1916, p. 132. 

May, 1916 Aug., 1916, p. 107. 

June, 1916 Sept., 1916, p. HI. 

Aug., 1916 Nov., 1916, p. 149. 

April, 1917 July, 1917, p. 187. 



BIBLIOCxRAPHY. 195 

Periodicals — Continued . 

Norway. Sociale Meddelelser utgit av Socialavdelingen under De- 
partementet for Sociale Saker, Handel, Industri og Fisheri, Christiania. 

No. 2, 3, 1915 Review, Sept., 1915, p. S3. 

No. 6, 1915 April, 1916, p. 110. 

No. 1, 1916 June, 1916, p. 132. 

No. 3, 1916 Oct., 1916, p. 108. 

No. 4, 1916 Dec, 1916, p. 139. 

No. 6, 1916 May, 1917, p. 800. 

Queensland. Industrial Gazette. Brisbane. 

June 10, 1916 Review, Sept., 1916, p. 111. 

July 10, 1916 Oct., 1916, p. 108. 

Aug. 10, 1916 Nov., 1916, p. 150. 

Spain. Boletin del Instituto de Reformas Sociales, Publicacion Men- 
sual. Madrid. 

Feb., Mar., Apr., May, 1915 Review, Aug., 1915, pp. 76, 77. 

June, 1915 Sept., 1915, p. 84. 

July, 1915 Oct., 1915, p. 108. 

Aug., 1915 Nov., 1915, p. 103. 

Nov., 1915 Feb., 1916, p. 118. 

Dec, 1915 Mar., 1916, p. 106. 

Jan., 1916 April, 1916, p. 110. 

May, 1916 Aug., 1916, p. 107. 

June, 1916 Sept., 1916, p. 111. 

July, 1916 Oct., 1916, p. 108. 

Feb., March, 1917 June, 1917, p. 1034. 

Sweden. Sociala Meddelanden utgivna av K. Socialstyrelsen. Stock- 
holm. 

Nov. 12, 1915 Review, Mar., 1916, pp. 106, 107. 

No. 1, 1916 May, 1916, p. 103. 

No. 2, 1916 June, 1916, p. 133. 

No. 5, 1916 Aug., 1916, p. 107. 

No. 6, 1916 Sept., 1916, p. 111. 

No. 7, 1916 Oct., 1916, 109. 

No. 8, 1916 Dec, 1916, p. 140. 

No. 9, 1916 Jan., 1917, p. 169. 

No. 10, 1916 Feb., 1917, p. 309. 

No. 2, 1917 June, 1917, p. 1035. 

No. 3, 1917 July, 1917, p. 192. 

Sweden. Socialstyrelsen, Sociala Meddelanden. Stockholm. 

No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1915 Review, Aug., 1915, pp. 77, 78. 

No. 5, 6, 1915 Sept., 1915, p. 84. 

No. 8, 1915 Nov., 1915, pp. 103, 104. 

No. 10, 1915 Jan., 1916, p. 88. 

No. 9, 1915 Dec, 1915, p. 99. 

No. 11, 1915 Feb., 1916, p. 118. 



196 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



The Netherlands. Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, Maandschrift. 
The Hague. 

Jan., Mar., Apr., 1915 Review, Aug., 1915, p. 78. 

May, June, 1915 Sept., 1915, pp. 82, 83. 

July, Sept., 1915 Dec, 1915, p. 98. 

Oct., 1915 Jan., 1916, pp. 86, 87. 

Nov., 1915 Feb., 1916, p. 117. 

Dec, 1915 March, 1916, p. 106. 

Jan., 1916 May, 1916, p. 102. 

Feb., 1916 June, 1916, p. 131. 

March, April, 1916 July, 1916, pp. 166, 167. 

June, 1916 Sept., 1916, p. 110. 

July 1, 1916 Oct., 1916, p. 106. 

Aug., 1916 Nov., 1916, p. 149. 

Sept., 1916 Dec, 1916, p. 139. 

Nov., 1916 Feb., 1917, p. 308. 

Dec, 1916 April, 1917, p. 640. 

Feb., 1917 June, 1917, p. 1033. 

Mar. 31, 1917, Apr. 30, 1917. . . . July, 1917, p. 185. 



